Adolescents' Suicidal Thoughts and Behaviors, Mental Health, and Access to School Counselors: Evidence from Georgia.

This article investigates the role of school counselors in moderating the relationship between adolescents' mental health difficulties and suicidal thoughts and behaviors (STBs) using an eight-year panel of nearly 4 million student surveys from Georgia middle and high schools. The study finds that while mental health difficulties strongly predict STBs, this association is significantly weakened in schools with more full-time equivalent (FTE) counselors. Specifically, employing additional counselors is associated with small but meaningful reductions in students' self-reported suicidality, particularly self-harm ideation and behaviors. The findings suggest that increasing access to school counselors may help mitigate the risk of STBs among youth experiencing mental health challenges, highlighting the importance of investing in school-based mental health support personnel with clearly defined roles and manageable caseloads.