Oral Presentation National Suicide Prevention Conference 2026

Outcomes of a multi-stakeholder collaboration and co-design digital psychosocial needs-based assessment protocol for young people (131293)

Jacinta Hawgood 1 2 , Grace Sholl 1 3 4 , Melanie Roberts 1 2 , Aleena Martin 1 2 , Anna Clark 1 2 5 , Trevor Pyman 3 , Caroline Donovan 1 , Sue H Spence 1 2 , Kylie King 6 , Karl Andriessen 5 , Diego D De Leo 1 2 , Kairi Kolves 1 2
  1. School of Applied Psychology, Griffith University, Mt Gravatt, QLD, Australia
  2. Australian Institute for Suicide Research and Prevention, Griffith University, Mt Gravatt, QLD, Australia
  3. Roses in the Ocean, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
  4. Australian Institute for Suicide Research and Prevention, Griffith University, Holland Park, QLD, Australia
  5. Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
  6. School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Aims: a) To collaborate with hospital and community-based youth based services and those with lived experience including young people, their carers/parents, and mental health professionals (MHPs), around the most appropriate language and domains of exploration for assessing suicidality in young people; b) To co-design/co-create a youth appropriate version of the adult-based Systematic Tailored Assessment for Suicidality protocol (STARS-Yp) in digital format, and associated STARS-Yp training online for enhancing user competency in administration of the protocol in hospital and community-based settings; and c) to evaluate the STARS-Yp and associated training in terms of utility and feasibility including creation of a youth-based expert network to support subsequent impact evaluation and research for effective protocol implementation. 

Method and Design: We used a 4-component mixed-methods approach with iterative co-design process to develop, evaluate, and disseminate a digital STARS-Yp and associated training; the first of its kind in Australia. Component 1 - Interview and focus group data reflecting insights and perceptions of young people, carers/parents, MHPs, and experts in youth suicide research/practices was gathered across Victoria and Queensland hospitals and Headspace centres, to inform the final digital format as well as online training package to support STARS-Yp administration. Component 2 -involved adaptation, delivery and evaluation of STARS-Yp online training for MHPs, while Component 3 - included feasibility testing of the STARS-Yp in the real world measured from interview data gathered from users and young people clients. Component 4 included co-creation of an action plan and network of young expert advisors for informing future research around the STARS-Yp to support its ongoing uptake in the workforce across Australia.

Results: Components 2 to 4 will be presented including pre/post STARS-Yp training impacts and quality improvement recommendations; interview findings from MHPs and clients of Headspace/Hospitals around the utility of the digital STARS-Yp, and young person expert network (recruited persons will be introduced and terms of reference and progress to date presented).

Implications/Conference theme: This study is about allowing young people and their carers as well as MHPs to champion what is needed in terms of psychosocial needs-based assessment enquiries to keep young people safe when experiencing suicidality. It uses co-design with these lived experience experts as a participatory process to adapt, modify and evaluate the utility of STARS-Yp. Diversity of perspectives come together to develop a first in Australia protocol for use across clinical and non-clinical settings where young people with suicidality are referred.