Practical learnings from a research engagement process involving youth with lived experience of suicidality

Abstract

Suicide remains a leading cause of death among youth in Canada, yet youth with lived experience are rarely involved in shaping suicide research activities, data interpretation, or reporting. This commentary, co-authored with youth advisors from an integrated youth services initiative in British Columbia, presents a case example of youth engagement in suicide-related research. Drawing on participatory and relational approaches, we reflect on how youth engagement informed the interpretation of administrative data, encouraged more thoughtful approaches to suicide reporting, and highlighted practical considerations for relational and ethical engagement. We emphasize that ethical research on suicide must move beyond risk avoidance towards more transparent and youth-centred partnerships to enhance health services and policy recommendations for suicide prevention. Research and reporting on youth suicide often leave out the voices of young people who have lived through these experiences. When this happens, findings can lack important context and may unintentionally reinforce stigma or misunderstanding. In this commentary, we reflect on what we learned by working together as researchers and youth partners in suicide-related research. Youth shared perspectives that helped us think more carefully about how suicide-related findings are interpreted, communicated, and practically used. We also describe what helped create a safe and supportive engagement process, including relationship-based, trauma-informed approaches built on trust, flexibility, and open communication. Based on our experience, we offer practical lessons for researchers, organizations, and policy partners who want to meaningfully engage youth in suicide research and other sensitive topics. Ultimately, we argue that ethical youth engagement requires more than inviting young people to participate; it requires creating transparent, supportive partnerships that recognize youth as valued collaborators throughout the research process.