Youth suicide prevention: a survey of public school superintendents' acceptability of school-based programs

Suicide Life Threat Behav. 2005 Apr;35(2):154-69. doi: 10.1521/suli.35.2.154.62874.

Abstract

From a random sample of members of the 2000-2001 membership directory of the American Association of School Administrators (AASA), public school administrators' acceptability ratings of three school-based programs for the prevention of adolescent suicide were examined. A total of 210 (46%) respondents examined a description of a suicide prevention program and completed a measure designed to evaluate the acceptability of suicide prevention programs. Three suicide prevention programs were evaluated for their acceptability, and included: (a) school-wide curriculum-based programs presented to students; (b) in-service presentations to school staff; and (c) self-report screening programs for students. The results indicated that superintendents rated the staff in-service training and curriculum-based programs as significantly more acceptable than the school-wide screening program. In addition, the school-wide screening program was rated as significantly more intrusive by school psychologists than the staff in-service training or curriculum-based prevention programs. Limitations of the study and future research directions are discussed.

Publication types

  • Clinical Trial
  • Comparative Study
  • Multicenter Study
  • Randomized Controlled Trial
  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Administrative Personnel / psychology*
  • Adolescent
  • Attitude*
  • Curriculum
  • Female
  • Health Education* / organization & administration*
  • Health Surveys
  • Humans
  • Inservice Training / organization & administration
  • Male
  • Mass Screening / organization & administration
  • Mass Screening / psychology
  • Risk Assessment / organization & administration
  • School Health Services* / organization & administration*
  • Suicide / psychology
  • Suicide / statistics & numerical data
  • Suicide Prevention*
  • United States