Dr. De Luca’s research focuses on the experiences of adolescents and young adults suicidal risk, disclosure patterns preceding and following suicidal ideation and attempts, the availability of social coping resources, and help-seeking attitudes.

Her work has received funding through NIMH (T32 NRSA postdoctoral fellowship), and NIMHD (NIH Loan Repayment Program) in addition to foundation and government sources. She has been consistently funded by NIH since 2009, examining suicide trajectories among racial/ethnic minority adolescents investigating how developmental social relationships were related to risk (1R03MH112015), how religious affiliation and levels of religiosity are related to sexual minority adolescent suicide ideation and attempts (1R03MH122852), and currently examining parents of a LGBQ child and their help seeking attitudes and behaviors after their child came out to them (R21MD019829). She is also Co-I to a 5-year study involving family lawyers, mortgage lenders, and unemployment officers (1DP2MH129967-01) in suicide prevention efforts; and an additional study observing school representatives’ participation in child death reviews (R21HD115957).  Dr. De Luca also led numerous studies that include mixed-methods approaches to novel dyadic suicide interventions, longitudinal examinations of parental depressive symptoms and suicidal thoughts and their relationship to their child’s reported levels of connectedness to trusted adults, and subsequent help-seeking attitudes and behaviors during times of distress. These studies will also provide a foundation to improve targeted upstream prevention programs in community settings.

Current NIH funding:

The Roles of Parental Mental Health and Help-Seeking: Utilizing a family systems approach to upstream suicide prevention for sexual minority youth. https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10951379

PUBLICATIONS

New peer-reviewed papers:

Adolescence to adulthood: Factors influencing trajectories of suicide ideation and attempt among sexual minorities (Mental Health, Religion, and Culture-forthcoming)

Scoping review of Hispanic family interventions. (Hispanic Journal of Behavioral Sciences)

Epidemiology of Pre-Adolescent Hospitalizations for Suicidal Thoughts and Behaviors (Hospital Pediatrics-forthcoming)

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/myncbi/susan.de luca.2/bibliography/48064128/public/?sort=date&direction=descending

PROFESSIONAL SOCIETY MEMBERSHIPS

American Association of Suicidology
Society for Social Work Research
Council on Social Work Education

CONTACT INFORMATION

The MetroHealth System
Rammelkamp R221
2500 MetroHealth Dr.
Cleveland, OH 44109
Phone: 216-778-3608
Email: sdeluca2@metrohealth.org