Guide to Effective Programs
for Children and Youth

Signs of Suicide (SOS) Prevention Program

OVERVIEW

The Signs of Suicide Prevention Program (SOS) was designed to combat increasing rates of suicide among high-school youth. This school-based program works to prevent suicide by raising student awareness of depression and other risk factors. The program also includes a short depression screening for students to evaluate their own risk factors for depression. The study described below found the intervention to be effective in increasing knowledge about suicide and depression, as well as decreasing suicidal ideations and attempts.

DESCRIPTION OF PROGRAM

Target population: High-school aged youth

The SOS program is designed to teach youth the signs of suicide as well as what to do if they recognize these signs in others. The students are taught the ACT plan as a response to recognition of suicidal behavior. The ACT plan involves Acknowledgement of suicidal behavior, demonstration of Care for suicidal students, and Telling responsible adults about recognized suicidal behavior. As a second step to the program, students are asked to complete the Columbia Depression Scale (CDS) as a screening for depression, a suicide risk factor. The program is centered around a video program which is followed by group discussions about suicide.

EVALUATION(S) OF PROGRAM

Aseltine Jr., R. H. & DeMartino, R. (2004). An outcome evaluation of the SOS suicide prevention program. American Journal of Public Health, 7, 446-452.

Evaluated population: 2100 students from 5 high schools in Hartford, Connecticut and Columbus, Georgia. These students were in grades 9-12 in the Hartford schools and were exclusively in 9^th grade in the Columbus schools. The sample was evenly split between male and female and had a racially diverse background with approximately 6-39% White, 20-37% African-American, 8-59% Hispanic, and 15-17% other ethnicity students.

Approach: Students were randomly assigned to conditions by a computerized scheduling program which designated whether they would take the SOS program in the first or second semester of the school year. Those taking the class in the first semester were used as the treatment group while those taking it in the second semester were the controls. The program involved two school days of video presentations and discussions about suicide; these materials, a video and discussion guide, are included with the program. Assessment of the program was conducted three months after the program’s conclusion and involved a short self-report questionnaire examining suicide attempts, knowledge about suicide, and help-seeking behavior.

Results: Students in the treatment condition were found to report fewer suicide attempts (3.6%) and were also found to have greater knowledge about depression and suicide when compared with the control group (5.4%). Help seeking behavior on the other hand, did not vary significantly between treatment and control conditions. Non-experimental mediating analysis indicates that knowledge and attitudes mediate the impact of the SOS program on suicide attempts.

Additional non-experimental findings of the study with respect to demographic variables found that females had greater knowledge of suicide but were more likely to have suicidal ideation and suicidal attempts over the past three months. Females were also more likely to seek help and intervene to protect friends from suicidal behavior. Similarly, students in ESL programs reported higher rates of suicidal ideation and were also more likely to seek help for depression and suicidal thoughts. The relationship between race and suicidal factors showed that white students have more knowledge about suicide and depression and are more likely to report suicidal behavior, while African American students had fewer reports of suicidal behavior and were less likely to seek help for problems with depression and suicide.

SOURCES FOR MORE INFORMATION

Link to program curriculum: http://www.mentalhealthscreening.org/highschool/index.aspx

References

Aseltine Jr., R. H. & DeMartino, R. (2004). An outcome evaluation of the SOS suicide prevention program. American Journal of Public Health, 7, 446-452.

Program categorized in this guide according to the following:

Evaluated participant ages: 9^th-12^th grade students / Program age ranges in the Guide: adolescence, youth

Program components: counseling/therapy, school-based

Measured outcomes: education and cognitive development, social and emotional health and development, behavioral problems, mental health

Program information last updated 3/16/07