An Outcome Evaluation of the Sources of Strength Suicide Prevention Program Delivered by Adolescent Peer Leaders in High Schools

Abstract

Sources of Strength is the first suicide prevention program involving peer leaders to enhance protective factors associated with reducing suicide at the school population level.

CDC Grand Rounds: Preventing Suicide Through a Comprehensive Public Health Approach

“…Program components build connections between trained peer leaders and trusted adults who work together to seek to increase students' acceptance of help-seeking, healthy coping, and communication with adults while reducing the acceptability of suicidal and other harmful behaviors. Program benefits include increases in referrals for assistance, acceptability of help-seeking and helpaccepting, and enhanced perceptions of adult support, including among students with a history of suicidal ideation (12). Increasing suicide rates demonstrate the need for more research to develop and implement prevention strategies that reach vulnerable groups.…”

Suicide prevention strategies: Which one to consider?

“…6 School based programs have proliferated as they have proven as cost effective and convenient way to reach the future generations. 28 The goal of intervention is to raise the awareness regarding suicide in the students, train the students to recognize the possible signs of suicide and provide resources in the school as well as in the community regarding suicide. 29 The programs mainly focus on reducing risk factors by early identification and reporting.…”

“…Screening for mood disorders, substance abuse, suicidal ideations can act as a intervention and then training the school staff as gate keeper to increase the identification and reporting and finally input in the school curricula to raise awareness and to increase self-screening as well as referral regarding mental disorders and suicidality. 19,28 Peer helper programs and postvention are two other interventions used in the school for the youths. 19 A new school based prevention program is getting popularity named as Signs of Suicide (SOS) that incorporates the two interventions; combining the curricula to raise awareness and a brief screening for depression related issues in regards to the suicide.…”

“…8,28 For suicide prevention CBT, 6,13,17,42 dialectical behavioural therapy (DBT), 6,13 problem-solving therapy, 6,13,17 a brief family-based crisis intervention and intensive care with outreach, 6,17 interpersonal psychotherapy, 13,17 were found effective. Study revealed that CBT reduces the suicidal attempt by halved in comparison with those with receiving usual care.…”

Gatekeeper-modellen i skolen - erfaringer fra et pilotprosjekt om selvmordsforebygging

“…Disse personene er trent til å kunne identifisere personer i risiko for selvmord og selvskading og til å henvise til eksisterende helsehjelp. Gatekeeper-programmer implementert i skoler har fokusert på å trene laerere og skolepersonell (Zenere & Lazarus, 1997;Burnette, Ramchand & Ayer, 2015) mens andre programmer har fokusert på å trene jevnaldrende elever til å vaere gatekeepere (Wyman et al, 2010). Unge selvskadere kan ofte kjennetegnes ved sterke følelsesmessige belastninger kombinert med svakere kommunikasjonsferdigheter (Isaac, Katz, Belik, Deane, Enns & Sareen, 2009).…”