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

Thirteen years progress: a scoping review of suicide prevention initiatives in post-secondary settings

Objective: Describe the literature on suicide prevention initiatives (SPIs) in post-secondary settings internationally since 2010. Methods: A scoping review and bibliographic search were conducted across MEDLINE, PsycINFO, CINAHL, and Scopus. Two reviewers independently screened articles and extracted data in consultation with a community social work team. Included articles described SPIs in post-secondary settings. Secondary sources and articles unavailable in English were excluded. Results: After identifying 931 citations, 76 articles representing five continents were included. Included articles spanned 2010 to 2023. Most articles represented North America, used quantitative methods, and focused on gatekeepers. SPIs in post-secondary settings were characterized by standardized and commercially available training programs and a wide variety of 'in-house' initiatives unique to campus communities. Conclusions: The quantity of research on SPIs in post-secondary settings has not kept pace with escalating mental health issues and the extent to which suicide is an urgent public health issue for young adults.

E-learning as a tool of suicide prevention training: A meta-analysis and systematic review

Suicide is a global health challenge. One prevention strategy is teaching individuals how to detect and respond to suicidality. These training have increasingly been delivered online. We searched WoS, Scopus, and PubMed from inception until the 20 September 2023 to evaluate e-learning efficacy as standardized mean changes and standardized mean differences. We synthesized main results using multilevel meta-analyses and subgroups using random-effects meta-analyses. Robins-I, RoB-II and trim-and-fill were used to assess the risk of bias. Of the 6516 initially screened articles, 26 were included. Overall, e-learning increased suicide prevention skills. Subgroups reported differing results: e-learning affected knowledge and self-efficacy more than behavior and attitudes. Efficacy, short duration, and low-cost suggest that e-learning may be feasible in teaching basic suicide prevention skills to lay people. However, current evidence suggests that health care professionals should not rely on e-learning as a training modality, except when no other form of training is available. Preregisteration: CRD42020218978.

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

Introduction

Suicide is the second leading cause of death in the 15 to 29 age group worldwide, and is a severe public health problem. Adolescent and young adult individuals attend educational institutions which can play an essential role in detecting and preventing suicide. For this reason, the purpose of this research is to identify what educational institutions and agents are called into action in suicide prevention, intervention, and postvention.

Methods

The method of systematic review of the literature based on the PRISMA protocol was used. The review protocol was registered in PROSPERO (PROSPERO 2020 CRD42020189127). The systematic review yielded 66 articles published between 1990 and February 2023.

Results

The results show that a wide variety of educational stakeholders are required to intervene for suicide prevention, interventions and postvention between primary education and college. The study describes the different programs that have been provided, the countries in which they have been implemented and the agents who have been targeted. It also identifies gaps in the research on suicide in the educational field.

Discussion

Overall, educational suicide initiatives report positive effects on participants' understanding, attitudes, and beliefs regarding suicide and suicide prevention, although some studies have expressed some caution.