American journal of preventive medicine
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Although injury is the leading cause of death for Americans aged 40 and under, curricula in U. S. Schools of Public Health rarely include training on injury prevention or control. ⋯ Public health practitioners are at the nexus of health care and service provision at local, state, federal, and multinational levels, and are well suited to provide training and technical assistance on youth violence prevention across disciplines and settings. In this article, training resources, opportunities, and strategies for prevention of the high prevalence of youth violence and suicide in the U. S. are discussed and recommendations for a new public health training initiative are outlined.
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Adolescents seen in an urban Emergency Department (ED) are more likely to die from violence than from any other illness or condition for which they seek care in the ED. Most injured patients presenting to our nation's EDs are treated and released, even after a firearm-related injury. These youth who are discharged from the ED will not interface with resources on the inpatient trauma unit. ⋯ Despite the fact that ED physicians and nurses frequently medically manage victims of violent assault, there are few courses on youth violence prevention (YVP) framed from the viewpoint of emergency healthcare providers, and ED staff remain relatively uneducated as a specialty on the identification, assessment, and referral resources available for early intervention and prevention. This article focuses on the development and in-depth description of a case-based, 1-hour continuing medical education presentation for ED physicians, residents, and nursing staff on YVP. This presentation is aimed to increase awareness of the role of ED personnel in YVP and to provide basic knowledge and skills needed to begin to incorporate YVP into routine clinical practice in an Emergency Department setting.
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Suicide is a serious public health problem, and training in suicide prevention has not kept pace with recent rapid growth of the field. ⋯ Online training is a valuable option to help meet suicide prevention training needs employing flexible, easy-to-use, and inexpensive Internet technology. With its growing presence in the field, NCSPT will continue to develop new courses to improve the ability of professionals and community-based coalitions to reduce suicide and its devastating impact on public health.
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Homelessness is a widespread problem in the United States. The primary goal of this systematic review is to provide guidance in the development and organization of programs to improve the health of homeless people. ⋯ Coordinated treatment programs for homeless adults with mental illness or substance abuse usually result in better health outcomes than usual care. Health care for homeless people should be provided through such programs whenever possible. Research is lacking on interventions for youths, families, and conditions other than mental illness or substance abuse.