By: S .Bhagyalakshmi, Y. Preethi, and Hephzibah keren I
1Professor, Department of Nursing, Vydehi Institute of Nursing science, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India.
2Associate professor, Department of Nursing, Avishkar college of Nursing, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India.
3Vice-Principal, Department of Nursing, Aditya college of Nursing, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India.
Background: Suicide is a significant public health concern, particularly among adolescents, who are vulnerable to various psychological, social, and environmental factors. Suicide is a leading cause of death among individuals aged 15 to 29, highlighting the urgent need for effective prevention efforts. Educational initiatives that increase awareness and equip young people with information about suicide prevention are crucial. This study aimed to assess the impact of a structured educational program designed to improve adolescents’ understanding of suicide risk factors and prevention strategies within a college environment. Materials and Methods: A pre-experimental, one-group pretest-posttest design was employed for this study, conducted at Westline College in Bengaluru, India. The study included 60 adolescents aged 18-21 years, selected through systematic random sampling from a total population of 244 students. Adolescents who had prior exposure to teaching on suicide risk factors and prevention were excluded. A carefully designed knowledge questionnaire was created, validated, and pilot tested to evaluate the participants’ understanding. Data was gathered both before and after the intervention to assess the effectiveness of the educational program. Results: The pre-test findings showed that 75% of participants had insufficient knowledge about suicide prevention, 25% had moderate knowledge, and none were fully knowledgeable. After completing the structured teaching program, a notable improvement was observed: 38.33% of participants achieved adequate knowledge, 61.67% had moderate knowledge, and none fell into the insufficient knowledge category. The average knowledge score increased from 9.9±3.88 in the pre-test to 17.03±4.12 in the post-test. A paired t-test showed a statistically significant difference with a t-value of 16.8 and a p-value of <0.001, indicating the program’s effectiveness. The association between the level of knowledge and socio-demographic variables was not significant. Conclusion: The study demonstrated that a structured teaching program significantly enhances adolescents’ knowledge of suicide prevention. The findings underscore the potential of such programs as effective tools for suicide prevention education. Integrating structured teaching programs into educational curricula can contribute to improving mental health literacy and reducing suicide rates among adolescents.
Keywords: Suicide prevention, Adolescents, Structured teaching program, Knowledge improvement, Educational intervention
Citation:
Refrences:
1. Suicide [Internet]. [cited 2024 Aug 23]. Available from: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/suicide
2. Brann, Kristy L. & Baker, Derek & Smith-Millman, Mills K. & Watt, Sarah J. & DiOrio, Courtney, 2021. “A meta-analysis of suicide prevention programs for school-aged youth,” Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 121(C).
3. De Oliveira JM, Dueñas JM, Morales-Vives F, Gallardo-Nieto E. Educational agents and institutions called into action in suicide prevention, intervention, and postvention. Front Psychol. 2023 Sep 14;14:1213751. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1213751. PMID: 37780143; PMCID: PMC10539586.
4. Baggio S, Nsingi N, Kanani A, Bourqui L, Graglia M, Thélin R. Evaluation of a brief universal suicide prevention programme in young people: a cluster-controlled trial in Swiss schools. Swiss Med Wkly. 2022 Jul 25;152:w30207. doi: 10.4414/smw.2022.w30207. PMID: 35964309.
5. Afsharnejad B, Milbourn B, Hayden-Evans M, Baker-Young E, Black MH, Thompson C, McGarry S, Grobler M, Clifford R, Zimmermann F, Kacic V, Hasking P, Bölte S, Romanos M, Machingura T, Girdler S. The efficacy of the “Talk-to-Me” suicide prevention and mental health education program for tertiary students: a crossover randomised control trial. Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2023 Dec;32(12):2477-2489. doi: 10.1007/s00787-022-02094-4. Epub 2022 Oct 4. PMID: 36194311; PMCID: PMC9531217.
6. Milbourn B, Black MH, Afsharnejad B, Snyman Z, Baker-Young E, Thompson C, McGarry S, Scott M, Clifford R, Zimmermann F, Kacic V, Hasking P, Romanos M, Bölte S, Girdler S. The “Talk-to-Me” MOOC intervention for suicide prevention and mental health education among tertiary students: Protocol of a multi-site cross-over randomised controlled trial. Contemp Clin Trials. 2022 Jan;112:106645. doi: 10.1016/j.cct.2021.106645. Epub 2021 Dec 1. PMID: 34861409.
7. Ayer L, Colpe LJ. The Key Role of Schools in Youth Suicide Prevention. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2023 Jan;62(1):19–21.
8. Programs for the Prevention of Suicide Among Adolescents and Young Adults [Internet]. [cited 2024 Aug 23]. Available from: https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/00031525.htm
9. Calear AL, Brewer JL, Batterham PJ, Mackinnon A, Wyman PA, LoMurray M, Shand F, Kazan D, Christensen H. The Sources of Strength Australia Project: study protocol for a cluster randomised controlled trial. Trials. 2016 Jul 26;17(1):349. doi: 10.1186/s13063-016-1475-1. PMID: 27456094; PMCID: PMC4960686.
10. Walsh EH, Herring MP, McMahon J. A Systematic Review of School-Based Suicide Prevention Interventions for Adolescents, and Intervention and Contextual Factors in Prevention. Prev Sci. 2023 Feb;24(2):365-381. doi: 10.1007/s11121-022-01449-2. Epub 2022 Oct 27. PMID: 36301381.
