Evidence-based interventions are so critical to treating mental illness and behaviors like suicide, but the road to developing these interventions is far from easy. Psychology PhD candidate Abby Ridge-Anderson shares more about her path into adolescent suicide research, how new treatments can specifically target the drivers of suicide, and common misconceptions about suicide and mental illness.

If you want to learn more about the topics discussed in this episode, check out:

• Ask Dr. Jill: Does Mental Illness Play a Role in Suicide? (website)
• Uncovering Suicidal Thoughts and 10 Things to Say to a Suicidal Person (website for suicidal individuals and their loved ones)
• Reach Out: How to Help Someone at Risk of Suicide (article)
• News articles on Meghan Markle's mental health stories and ways that it has changed the way we talk about suicide
• Suicidal Behavior in Children and Adolescents by Barry M. Wagner (book)
• Managing Suicidal Risk: A Collaborative Approach by David A. Jobes (book)
• Dialectical Behavior Therapy with Suicidal Adolescents by Alec M. Miller, Jill H. Rathus, & Marsha M. Linehan (book)

If you or someone you care about is struggling with suicidal thoughts, we encourage you to check out the following resources:

• The Jed Foundation
• 13 Reasons Why by Helping Give Away Psychological Science (HGAPS)
• The Trevor Project
• American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP)
• Suicide Prevention Resource Center (SPRC)
• The American Association of Suicidology (AAS)

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Learn more about Northwestern University SPOT on Twitter @SPOTForceNU or at our website spot.northwestern.edu

Podcast artwork created by Edie Jiang, available at her website https://ediejiang.weebly.com/ or on Instagram @ediejiang

Music in this episode: Earth by MusicbyAden https://soundcloud.com/musicbyadenCreative Commons — Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported — CC BY-SA 3.0Free Download / Stream: https://bit.ly/_earthMusic promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/5yIbZVOv438