The efficacy of the “Talk-to-Me” suicide prevention and mental health education program for tertiary students: a crossover randomised control trial

Abstract

Despite suicide ideation being one of the most frequently reported health issues impacting tertiary students, there is a paucity of research evaluating the efficacy of preventive interventions aimed at improving mental health outcomes for students studying at two tertiary institutes. The current study evaluated the efficacy of the “Talk-to-Me” Mass Open Online Course (MOOC) in improving tertiary students’ abilities to support the mental health of themselves and their peers via a randomised controlled trial design, comparing them to a waitlist control group. Overall, 129 tertiary students (M = 25.22 years, SD = 7.43; 80% female) undertaking a health science or education course at two Western Australian universities were randomly allocated to either “Talk-to-Me” (n = 66) or waitlist control (n = 63) groups. The participants’ responses to suicidal statements (primary outcome), knowledge of mental health, generalised self-efficacy, coping skills, and overall utility of the program (secondary outcomes) were collected at three timepoints (baseline 10-weeks and 24-weeks from baseline). Assessment time and group interaction were explored using a random-effects regression model, examining changes in the primary and secondary outcomes. Intention-to-treat analysis (N = 129) at 10-weeks demonstrated a significant improvement in generalised self-efficacy for “Talk-to-Me” compared to the control group (ES = 0.36, p = .04), with only the “Talk-to-Me” participants reporting increased knowledge in responding to suicidal ideation (primary outcome). This change was sustained for 24 weeks. Findings provide preliminary evidence suggesting that the “Talk-to-Me” MOOC can effectively improve tertiary students’ mental health and knowledge of how to support themselves and others in distress. ACTRN12619000630112, registered 18-03-2019, anzctr.org.au.

Educational agents and institutions called into action in suicide prevention, intervention, and postvention

“… Tompkins et al (2010) advised educational communities to come together to talk about suicide prevention, identify weaknesses, build on strengths, and create plans of action. Afsharnejad et al (2022) encourage suicide prevention interventions among tertiary students to consider using online peer mentoring programs to create user groups where participants can practice their skills face-to-face.…”

Understanding the utility of “Talk‐to‐Me” an online suicide prevention program for Australian university students

“…Experience with the "Talk-to-Me" MOOC was assessed post-completion of the program via a three-part survey seeking students' perceptions and experience when completing the MOOC (Afsharnejad et al, 2021). Part one consisted of multiple-choice and text entry items asking how easy and engaging the program modules were.…”

“…The impact of COVID-19 on everyday life and mental health was assessed via a 31-item survey developed for this study (e.g., "Since COVID-19, I feel more burdened") (Afsharnejad et al, 2021) comprised of three dichotomous items (Yes = 1; No = 0) and 28 items scored on a 4-point Likert scale (0 [never] to 3 [always]), with some reverse-scored items. Total scores ranged from 0 to 87, with higher scores indicating a more negative impact of COVID-19.…”

“…A recent study evaluated the efficacy of the “Talk‐to‐Me” MOOC using a randomized controlled trial compared to a waitlist control for 129 students from two Western Australian universities (Afsharnejad et al, 2021). Findings indicated that participants who completed the program reported significant improvements in generalized self‐efficacy (ES = 0.36, p = 0.04) compared to those who were waitlisted.…”

“…Findings indicated that participants who completed the program reported significant improvements in generalized self‐efficacy (ES = 0.36, p = 0.04) compared to those who were waitlisted. Additionally, after completing the program, participants in both groups reported that “Talk‐to‐Me” improved their knowledge of supporting themselves and others when distressed by changes sustained to 14‐week follow‐up (Afsharnejad et al, 2021). Despite this preliminary evidence, it remains unknown whether university students across Australia would perceive the program as efficacious and the impact that a mental health event (such as the COVID‐19 pandemic) might have on participants' responses to the program.…”