Culturally Responsive Suicide Prevention: Methodological Tools for Adapting Interventions across Diverse Populations

Suicidal ideation can disproportionately affect minoritized populations including African American, Hispanic/Latinx, LBGTQ+, and rural communities, yet current prevention and intervention frameworks often fail to account for cultural differences in risk, symptom expression, and help-seeking behavior. To address these disparities, social work researchers and practitioners need methodological tools to adapt suicide prevention strategies to meet the cultural, social, and structural needs of diverse groups. This workshop will discuss the use of culturally responsive methods for evaluating and adapting suicide prevention interventions. It will highlight common challenges in translating universal interventions across cultures and provide hands-on instruction in adaptation tools, including the use of a sociocultural framework for suicide prevention. Participants will learn how to assess the cultural fit of interventions, identify culturally salient risk and protective factors, and apply equity-driven design and evaluation strategies. The session will also introduce participatory and community-engaged approaches to intervention refinement, with case examples drawn from real-world practice and research. Special emphasis will be placed on methodological strategies for data collection and measurements that support cultural responsiveness and meaningful community collaboration. Learning Objectives: 1. Describe cultural variations in suicidal ideation and limitations of universal prevention models. 2. Examine culturally specific risk factors and their impact on suicide prevention research and implementation. 3. Apply methodological frameworks to adapt suicide prevention strategies to diverse populations. This workshop addresses the urgent need for culturally attuned suicide prevention approaches in social work research and practice. By providing attendees with concrete methodological skills and tools, the session strengthens the field's ability to reduce suicidal ideation and enhance intervention equity and effectiveness across diverse populations.