Background
Globally, suicide is
a leading cause of adolescent mortality. Post-primary, school-based suicide
prevention (PSSP) is a key adolescent suicide prevention strategy, yet there
are challenges to translating PSSP research to practice. Intervention
and contextual factors are important for both effectiveness and implementation.
This review aimed to highlight key intervention and contextual factors with
respect to PSSP effectiveness and implementation.
Methods
Searches of aggregate
database EBSCOhost and Web of
Science identified 28 (n=+47,000) studies evaluating PSSP effectiveness.
Domitrovich and colleagues’ implementation quality of school-based
interventions framework organised intervention and contextual factors, which
were narratively synthesised with respect to PSSP effectiveness.
Results
Reporting and analysis of intervention and contextual
factors were lacking, but PSSP effectiveness and intervention acceptability
varied across school type. Although school personnel commonly delivered PSSP
interventions, their input and perspectives on PSSP interventions lacked.
Notably, adolescents had little involvement in designing and inputting on PSSP interventions.
Conclusion
Although our review supports PSSP effectiveness, the lack of:
(1) reporting and analysis of intervention and contextual factors, and (2) involvement
of and input from key stakeholders in PSSP has implications for PSSP
effectiveness and implementation. Future research should investigate school-level
factors with respect to PSSP. Future practice should consider PSSP
interventions which supports and involves key stakeholders in engaging with
PSSP.
