Suicide Prevention Education Research Articles

Suicide prevention education programs in the schools: Evaluation of the program in junior high school

Suicide prevention education programs in the schools: Evaluation of the program in junior high school

Perspectives and Appropriateness of Suicide Prevention Gatekeeper Training for MSW Students

As the largest provider group of outpatient mental health services, social workers are at the forefront of suicide prevention, yet lack formal education to recognize and respond to client suicide risk. The Question, Persuade, and Refer (QPR; Quinnett, 1995) gatekeeper training teaches basic suicide prevention skills, focusing on suicide risk factors, warning signs, and response. Eight advanced MSW students, who completed the QPR training, participated in a face-to-face interview to share perspectives of the training and how they applied skills learned within their social work field placement. Study results provide crucial information about suicide prevention education for social workers.

Identification of suicide clues, depression signs, knowledge and attitude towards adolescent suicide prevention strategies among high school teachers

Adolescent suicide is increasing in India. Identification of suicide clues, depression signs, knowledge and attitude towards adolescent suicide prevention strategies is important for the school teachers to take part in preventing adolescent suicide prevention. A survey was conducted among randomly selected 90 high school teachers in rural and urban areas of Mangalore district. Data show that the teachers knowledge on suicide prevention is moderate (mean% 48), attitude towards suicide prevention is favorable (65%) however their depression signs identification and suicide clue identification scores were low (mean 40, 41%). It was also found that teachers reported knowledge and attitude were influenced by their years of experience, hence these attributes may be reinforced by suicide prevention education.

LISTENING FOR THE VOICES OF RESILIENCE: A GROUP OF ADOLESCENTS’ EXPERIENCES WITH A SUICIDE PREVENTION EDUCATION PROGRAM

Adolescents’ experiences in a grassroots, school-based suicide prevention education group in British Columbia, Canada, were investigated in response to anecdotal observations of the group’s strong positive impact. In the Alive group, at-risk high school students, 15 to 18 years of age, learned to support each other, became literate in mental health issues, and created and performed presentations on suicide prevention to peers. The authors employed the qualitative method of the Listening Guide to explore the participants’ experiences of this program. Participant narratives reveal voices of vulnerability (including voices of not knowing, disconnection, and silence – primarily in reference to past experiences of suicidality and depression), and of resiliency (including voices of knowing, connection, altruism, and protection). Through their experience of the Alive group, the participants developed and strengthened inner and interpersonal resources of resilience and knowledge of themselves and others. Motivated by their own healing, they articulated a desire to help and impact others with what they had learned.

Making the Case for Primary Care and Mandated Suicide Prevention Education

During its 2012 legislative session, Washington State passed ESHB 2366, otherwise known as the Matt Adler Suicide Assessment, Treatment, and Management Act of 2012. ESHB 2366 is a significant legislative achievement as it is the first law in the country to require certain health professionals to obtain continuing education in the assessment, treatment, and management of suicide risk as a requirement to obtain and maintain licensure. However, ESHB 2366 does not apply to primary care providers, an important next step for legislation that has as its goal "to help lower the suicide rate in Washington." This commentary addresses objections raised against the law and potential responses as Washington considers strengthening its own law to include primary care providers and as other states consider similar legislation.

Collaborative knowledge-making in the everyday practice of youth suicide prevention education

The development and implementation of a new school‐based suicide prevention education programme in one secondary school in Vancouver, British Columbia, recently provided us with an opportunity to conduct an in‐depth, qualitative case study. The purpose of our study was to deepen our understanding of how school‐based suicide prevention education programmes like this one get planned and enacted in particular, local settings. We argue that the narrow range of methodologies that have traditionally been deployed to study school‐based youth suicide prevention education programmes have hindered our ability to see the complexities and potentialities of this work. Through the presentation of a sub‐set of findings, we aim to show the possibilities for fresh thinking and contextualized understandings that a qualitative case study, informed by a constructionist methodology, invites.

Effects of Educating Local Government Officers and Healthcare and Welfare Professionals in Suicide Prevention

Suicide is a major public health issue. In Japan, local governments are responsible for suicide prevention, and local government officers are therefore expected to act as gatekeepers for suicide prevention. In this study, through a questionnaire survey, the authors examined the current knowledge and attitudes concerning suicide prevention among local government officers and healthcare and welfare professionals, and the effects of providing suicide prevention education on their knowledge of and attitudes toward suicide and its prevention. One hundred eighty-three local government officers and 432 healthcare/welfare professionals completed the survey before and after a single education session. Before the session, the local government officers and healthcare/welfare professionals showed mainly positive attitudes toward suicide prevention efforts, with little difference between the two groups. After the training, knowledge and attitudes were further improved for most questionnaire items. Respondents with one or more experiences of suicide prevention training showed significantly more knowledge and positive attitudes before the training than those with no such experience. Moreover, knowledge of depression and having a sympathetic attitude were found to be especially associated with the overall attitude that “suicide can be prevented”. Training in suicide prevention was shown to be effective in promoting appropriate knowledge and attitudes among local government officers and healthcare/welfare professionals who are gatekeepers for preventing suicide. Our findings confirm the importance of suicide prevention education, and will contribute to creating a standard educational program on suicide prevention in Japan.

Fatal aluminum phosphide poisoning in Tehran-Iran from 2007 to 20100

Aluminum phosphide (AlP) is also known as "rice tablet" in Iran. Due to the high incidence of acute AlP poisoning and its associated mortality in Iran, the authorities banned AlP-containing tablets in 2007. The aim of this study is to evaluate the trend of acute fatal AlP poisoning subsequent to this restriction. 0 This is a retrospective chart review of patients with acute "rice tablet" poisoning who were admitted to Loghman Hakim Hospital Poison Center, Tehran, Iran, from 2007 to 2010. Collected information included gender, age, type of poisoning, marital status, duration of hospitalization, and outcome. There were 956 cases with a mortality rate of 24.06%. The incidence of fatal AlP poisoning was 2.1 and 5.81 per one million populations of Tehran in 2007 and 2010, respectively. In 223 of the fatal cases (97%) and 697 of the non-fatal cases (96%), the poisoning was intentional. The male to female ratio in the fatal and non-fatal cases was 1.04:1 and 1:1.3, respectively. Most of the fatal cases (n = 122, 53%) were unmarried. The mean age was 27.32 ± 11.31 and 24.5 ± 8.19 years in fatal and non-fatal cases, respectively. In 196 (85.2%) of the fatal cases and in 577 (79%) of non-fatal cases, the duration of hospitalization was less than 24 hours and between 48-72 hours, respectively. The results of this study showed the incidence of "rice tablet" poisoning, and its mortality increased since 2007 in spite of the ban. It seems that legislative means alone without other interventions, such as suicide prevention and public education, will not always be able to control or prevent acute intentional poisonings.

Preliminary Effectiveness of Surviving the Teens® Suicide Prevention and Depression Awareness Program on Adolescents' Suicidality and Self-Efficacy in Performing Help-Seeking Behaviors

Suicide ranks as the third leading cause of death among youth aged 15-24 years. Schools provide ideal opportunities for suicide prevention efforts. However, research is needed to identify programs that effectively impact youth suicidal ideation and behavior. This study examined the immediate and 3-month effect of Surviving the Teens® Suicide Prevention and Depression Awareness Program on students' suicidality and perceived self-efficacy in performing help-seeking behaviors. High school students in Greater Cincinnati schools were administered a 3-page survey at pretest, immediate posttest, and 3-month follow-up. A total of 1030 students participated in the program, with 919 completing matched pretests and posttests (89.2%) and 416 completing matched pretests and 3-month follow-ups (40.4%). Students were significantly less likely at 3-month follow-up than at pretest to be currently considering suicide, to have made a suicidal plan or attempted suicide during the past 3 months, and to have stopped performing usual activities due to feeling sad and hopeless. Students' self-efficacy and behavioral intentions toward help-seeking behaviors increased from pretest to posttest and were maintained at 3-month follow-up. Students were also more likely at 3-month follow-up than at pretest to know an adult in school with whom they felt comfortable discussing their problems. Nine in 10 (87.3%) felt the program should be offered to all high school students. The findings of this study lend support for suicide prevention education in schools. The results may be useful to school professionals interested in implementing effective suicide prevention programming to their students.

Precarious spaces: Risk, responsibility and uncertainty in school-based suicide prevention programs

We report on findings from an in-depth qualitative case study designed to closely examine the social practices of planning and implementing a four-part (six hour) classroom-based suicide prevention program within two classrooms in one secondary school in Vancouver, British Columbia. Representing a departure from traditional evaluation research studies in suicidology, we examine how school-based youth suicide prevention programs get brought into being in "real world" contexts. Using a discursive, critical constructionist methodology, we aim to illuminate the complexities of this work. Based on our analysis, we suggest that suicide (and its prevention), in all its complex and culturally situated forms, simply cannot be conceptualized through singular, stable or universalizing terms that transcend time and context. Implications for (re)- conceptualizing suicide prevention education are discussed.

Pilot Testing and Preliminary Evaluation of a Suicide Prevention Education Program for Emergency Department Personnel

Emergency department personnel play an important role in recognizing individuals with suicidality and intervening to prevent completed suicide. An educational program was designed to be offered to emergency department personnel, and was piloted with a convenience sample of 54 clinicians. Pre-test and post-test measures showed an increase in knowledge scores (from 7.9 ± 1.9 to 13.6 ± 2.1, P < .001) and self-efficacy scores (from 24.0 ± 9.1 to 32.3 ± 9.2, P < .001) regarding management of suicidal patients or those at elevated risk for suicide in the emergency department immediately after participating in the training session. In addition, participants favorably rated the training session, and would recommend it to others. With further development and refinement, this program could be implemented on a statewide level and targeted at emergency department personnel to enhance their ability to provide appropriate resources, support, and treatment for individuals identified as being at risk for suicide.

University Students' Perceived Self‐Efficacy in Identifying Suicidal Warning Signs and Helping Suicidal Friends Find Campus Intervention Resources

Currently, suicide is the third leading cause of death among youth 18 to 24 years of age and the second leading cause of death on college campuses. A sample of students (N = 1,019) from three midwestern universities were surveyed regarding their perceived self-efficacy in identifying suicide warning signs and campus suicide intervention resources. The results indicated that 11% strongly believed they could recognize a friend at suicidal risk, while 17% strongly believed they could ask a friend if he or she was suicidal. Students who had received high school suicide prevention education and who had ever had a family member or friend express suicidal thoughts to them were those most confident in recognizing a friend at risk, asking a friend if he/she is suicidal, and helping a friend to see a counselor. Most (71%) were not aware of on-campus help resources. These findings underscore the importance of suicide prevention education throughout the high school and college years.

Health professionals' attitudes towards suicide prevention initiatives

Preventing suicide can depend upon the ability of a range of different health professionals to make accurate suicide risk assessments and treatment plans. The attitudes that clinicians hold towards suicide prevention initiatives may influence their suicide risk assessment and management skills. This study measures a group of non-mental health professionals' attitude towards suicide prevention initiatives. Health professionals that had attended suicide prevention education showed significantly more positive attitudes towards suicide prevention initiatives. The findings in this study further support the effectiveness of educating non-mental health professionals in suicide risk awareness and management.

In This Issue

In This Issue

Telecommunication and Suicide Prevention: Hopes and Challenges for the New Century

Development of information technology has created new opportunities and challenges in suicide prevention, research, and clinical practice. This article presents an overview of the wide range of telecommunication-based suicide prevention approaches. Interventions using the Internet, telephone, and videoconferencing are discussed, including crisis intervention, referral, and support, suicide risk assessment, psychotherapy for individuals at risk, and online-based suicide prevention training and education. Research regarding effectiveness of telecommunication-based suicide prevention in various demographic and clinical populations is reviewed, as well as concerns regarding this type of intervention. Future areas of research and development in the use of telecommunication media in prevention of suicide are discussed.

Adolescent suicide prevention. Current research and social policy implications.

The rate of adolescent suicide has increased dramatically in the past few decades, prompting several interventions to curb the increase. Unfortunately, many of the intervention efforts have not benefited from current research findings because the communication between researchers and those who develop the interventions is inadequate. Of specific concern are the increasingly popular curriculum-based suicide prevention programs, which have not demonstrated effectiveness and may contain potentially deleterious components. This article reviews the current epidemiological research in adolescent suicide and suggests how this knowledge could be used more effectively to reduce the rate of adolescent suicide. Recommendations include support for integrated primary prevention efforts; suicide prevention education for professionals; education and policies on firearm management; education for the media about adolescent suicide; more efficient identification and treatment of at-risk youth, including those exposed to suicidal behavior; crisis intervention; and treatment for suicide attempters.

Adolescent suicide: Views of adolescents, parents, and school personnel

The purpose of this study was to survey adolescents, parents, and school personnel to assess knowledge, skill, and program needs in the schools and community in order to prevent adolescent suicide. The subjects were 57 adolescents, 63 parents, and 49 school personnel from three public high schools in a southwestern United States community. A 21-item survey questionnaire was constructed to assess the perceptions of the three groups in relation to their level of knowledge, skill, and resource awareness for assisting a suicidal adolescent. Diversity in knowledge, skill, and resource awareness within the groups, as well as findings unique to each group, were noted. Implications for school-based suicide prevention education programs are discussed.