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CANADA’S CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL FOUNDATIONS

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MCMASTER CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL FOUNDATION

I AM SAFE SUICIDE PREVENTION INTERVENTION AND STUDY

$485,652

TOTAL FUNDS RECEIVED TO DATE

$163,054

TOTAL FUNDS RECEIVED
IN 2022

$171,053

TOTAL FUNDS RECEIVED
IN 2021

$151,546

TOTAL FUNDS RECEIVED
IN 2020

HOSPITAL PROGRAM OVERVIEW

More Canadian youth die by suicide than from the top 10 fatal diseases in this population combined.

To address the urgent need for effective suicide prevention strategies, mental health experts have developed a new and innovative six-week psychotherapy program called I Am Safe, focused on improving family communication, reducing conflict and increasing coping skills. “Our goal is to help these teens to be teenagers and not patients. They need to know that there are solutions to their problems that do not involve self-harm,” explains Dr. Khrista Boylan, Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist at McMaster Children’s Hospital.

Through funding from Family of Support, McMaster Children’s Hospital is working alongside The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) and Alberta Children’s Hospital to test the effectiveness of this intervention program through a multi-site clinical trial. The goal of the trial is to develop a new standard of care for patients who present at Emergency Departments at risk of suicide or self-harm. Currently, many such patients are sent home and referred to community programs – but there is no systematic intervention to address effective communication between parents/guardians and patients to ensure they are navigating their challenges effectively together.

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