Dos and Don'ts in Designing School-Based Awareness Programs for Suicide Prevention.

Area of Science:

• Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
• Public Health
• Educational Psychology

Background:

• School-based programs show promise in reducing youth suicidal ideation and attempts.
• Lack of established guidelines for safe and effective school-based suicide awareness programs.
• Need for expert consensus on program targets and methodologies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To derive expert-informed recommendations for school-based suicide awareness and prevention programs.
• To identify optimal targets and strategies for effective youth suicide prevention initiatives.
• To establish evidence-based guidelines for implementing school mental health programs.

Main Methods:

• A three-stage Delphi survey conducted with an expert panel from November 2018 to March 2019.
• Rating of 214 items derived from literature and open-ended questions over two rounds.
• Consensus and stability were key criteria for assessing expert agreement.

Main Results:

• Recommended targets include reducing suicide attempts, enhancing help-seeking behaviors, and promoting peer support.
• Key strategies involve improving mental health literacy, life skills, program evaluation, and healthcare access.
• Facilitating access to mental health care and implementing long-term, multi-level action plans are crucial.

Conclusions:

• Promoting help-seeking and peer support is vital for successful school-based suicide awareness programs.
• Ensuring accessible mental health care services is a pivotal component of youth suicide prevention.
• Expert consensus highlights the need for structured, evidence-based approaches in school mental health initiatives.