« College president notes rapid rise of mental illness on campus | Main | Survey finds many primary-care physicians may overlook depression, mental illness in elderly »
January 08, 2008
Suicide prevention program focuses on high-school students
The Christian Science Monitor (1/3, Khadaroo) reports that "[s]ince 2000-01, more than 3,500 schools throughout the United States have used...materials and training kits" from the Signs of Suicide (SOS) prevention program "to teach" high-school "students how to recognize and respond to depression and suicidal thoughts."
The SOS program "is the only school-based curriculum shown to reduce self-reported suicide attempts in randomized controlled studies." Results from studies in "2004 and 2007 found that suicide attempts were 40 percent less for students in the SOS high-school program than for the control group," with similar results "across racial and socioeconomic groups." Statistics from the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control indicate that suicide is "the third leading cause of death among 15- to 24-year-olds."
Related Links:
- "Suicide Prevention Program Focuses on Teens," Stacy Teicher Khadaroo, Christian Science Monitor, January 3, 2008.
- Signs of Suicide program at Screening for Mental Health Inc.'s website
Posted by admin at January 8, 2008 01:08 PM
