Strategies for Enhancing a School-Based Suicide Prevention Training: Student Perspectives

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Adolescent Psychology
• Educational Intervention

Background:

• Suicide is a leading cause of death in US adolescents, with increasing rates.
• Existing suicide prevention programs often lack adolescent input during development.
• Effective, accessible programming is critical to address this public health crisis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify student-generated themes for improving school-based suicide prevention training.
• To incorporate adolescent perspectives into the design of suicide prevention curricula.
• To enhance the effectiveness of suicide prevention interventions for young people.

Main Methods:

• Thematic analysis of open-ended survey responses from 2,480 adolescents.
• Data collected via pre- and post-training surveys between March 2022 and June 2023.
• Exploration of student suggestions for improving peer- or school personnel-delivered training.

Main Results:

• Four key themes emerged: empowerment, self-care, increased sensitivity and discretion, and enhanced interactive learning and engagement.
• Student feedback highlighted the need for a flexible, trauma-informed approach.
• Adolescents desire more agency and tailored content in prevention programs.

Conclusions:

• Student perspectives are vital for developing effective suicide prevention training.
• Incorporating themes of empowerment, self-care, and sensitivity can improve program impact.
• Nurses and school personnel can implement these student-informed strategies, with a call for consistent integration of youth feedback.