Evaluation of a youth suicide prevention school program

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Adolescent Psychology
• Educational Interventions

Background:

• Adolescent suicide presents a growing national concern.
• Legislative action in California mandated a youth suicide prevention school program in 1983.
• The program aimed to address rising rates of youth suicide.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of a school-based youth suicide prevention program.
• To assess the impact of training on high school students, school staff, and parents.
• To identify key components appreciated by participants in suicide awareness seminars.

Main Methods:

• Implementation of a three-year youth suicide prevention school program.
• A four-hour training course for high school students.
• 90-minute awareness seminars for school staff and parents.

Main Results:

• High school students demonstrated significant gains in understanding suicide prevention techniques after training.
• School staff and parents valued practical advice and resources from awareness seminars.
• The program showed positive initial findings in its first two years.

Conclusions:

• School-based programs can effectively enhance understanding of youth suicide prevention.
• Providing practical resources is crucial for school staff and parents responding to at-risk youth.
• The California youth suicide prevention program demonstrated initial success in its objectives.