A Peer-to-Peer Suicide Prevention Workshop for Medical Students

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Psychiatry
• Public Health

Background:

• 11% of medical students report suicidal ideation.
• Medical schools often lack curricula for peer-to-peer suicide intervention.
• There is a critical need to equip students with skills to support peers.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design, implement, and evaluate a workshop for medical students on intervening with peers in suicidal crisis.
• To enhance students' skills, knowledge, and confidence in suicide prevention for their peers.

Main Methods:

• A 2-hour peer-led workshop combining didactic and small-group sessions with role-playing.
• Involved 273 first- and second-year medical students.
• Utilized pre-/postsurveys to assess changes in knowledge and confidence.

Main Results:

• Significant improvements in self-rated suicide prevention knowledge.
• Increased confidence and likelihood of asking peers about suicide.
• Positive student feedback highlighted peer-led aspects and role-plays.

Conclusions:

• The workshop effectively equipped medical students with peer suicide intervention skills.
• Peer-led training and experiential learning are valuable components.
• The program has been integrated into the first-year medical curriculum.