What is the Evidence for Preparing for and Responding to Student Suicide in Schools? A Systematic Review
摘要
Despite the development of postvention services and guidelines to support schools in the aftermath of a student suicide, there has been limited evidence regarding postvention activities in school settings. This study’s aim was to systematically review the evidence for preparing for and responding to student suicide in School settings. A search of peer-reviewed literature in six databases was conducted. Nineteen articles met the eligibility criteria. Ten studies evaluated interventions aimed at secondary school students and nine studies tested interventions delivered to school staff. Overall, we found some evidence to suggest that students can benefit from brief educational sessions and screening to identify those who may need additional clinical support, and that preparing staff for a student suicide, through training and/or support, may increase the knowledge and self-efficacy of school staff. However, the overall study quality was poor and significant gaps in knowledge remain, including the evidence of postvention activities for diverse young people. While research in school postvention is inherently difficult, there is a need for rigorous research to determine the most appropriate postvention activities in schools, including an urgent need for research into postvention interventions developed with and for young people.