The Sources of Strength Australia Project: study protocol for a cluster randomised controlled trial

Area of Science:

• Adolescent mental health
• Suicidology
• Public health interventions

Background:

• Schools are ideal settings for suicide prevention and early intervention.
• Australia lacks routine school-based suicide prevention programs.
• Peer-led, social connectedness approaches show international effectiveness in improving suicide help-seeking.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of the Sources of Strength program in promoting help-seeking for suicide among adolescents in Australian high schools.

Main Methods:

• A two-arm, cluster-randomised controlled trial comparing Sources of Strength to a wait-list control.
• Sixteen Australian high schools recruited, involving adolescents in years 7-10.
• Peer leaders trained to deliver program messages over 3 months, with data collected at baseline, 3 months, 6 months, and 18 months.

Main Results:

• Primary outcome: changes in help-seeking intentions.
• Secondary outcomes: help-seeking behavior, attitudes, norms, peer referral, adult support availability, coping, and suicidal behavior.
• Analysis uses mixed-effect repeated-measures to account for school-based clustering.

Conclusions:

• The Sources of Strength program, if effective, could be widely implemented in Australian high schools as a valuable suicide prevention resource.
• The program has the potential to significantly improve youth mental health by enhancing help-seeking behaviors.
• Findings will contribute to the international evidence base for peer-leadership suicide prevention programs.