School Counseling, Suicidal Ideation, Suicide Prevention
Conditions
Keywords
Suicide Intervention Training, School Counselors, Secondary Education
Brief summary
The aim of this study is to develop and evaluate the effectiveness of the Online Suicide Prevention and Intervention Training Program (Çevrimiçi İntihar Önleme ve Müdahale Eğitim Programı - ÇİÖMEP) for school counselors working in secondary education. Suicide is a major public health concern among adolescents, and school counselors play a vital role in early identification and intervention. This research uses a randomized controlled trial (RCT) design to determine if the training improves counselors' knowledge, perceived competence, and attitudes toward suicide prevention while reducing the stigma associated with suicidal behavior.
Interventions
BEHAVIORALOnline Suicide Prevention and Intervention Training Program (ÇİÖMEP)
This is an online training program designed for school counselors. It consists of 4 sessions held over 2 days. The training covers: 1. Awareness: Understanding suicide myths, warning signs, and attitudes. 2. Assessment: How to assess suicide risk in students and create safety plans. 3. Intervention: Specific counseling techniques to help students who are at risk (e.g., instilling hope, problem-solving). 4. Crisis Management: How to manage a crisis in school and what to do after a suicide occurs (postvention)
Sponsors
Aydin Adnan Menderes University
The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
PREVENTION
Masking
NONE
Intervention model description
Participants are randomly assigned to either the online suicide prevention training group or a waiting list control group in a 1:1 ratio.
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
* Currently working as a psychological counselor in secondary education institutions affiliated with the Ministry of National Education in Izmir, Turkey. * Hold a bachelor's degree in Psychology or Psychological Counseling and Guidance (PDR) from a higher education institution. * Possess the appropriate technical infrastructure to participate in online training (e.g., a stable internet connection, computer/tablet, and a private environment). * Willing to participate in the study voluntarily.
Exclusion criteria
* Having lost a relative or close friend to suicide within the last year. * Having participated in a similar suicide prevention training program within the last 6 months. * Failure to attend a total of two or more training sessions during the intervention phase.
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| The Perceived Competency in Working with Suicide Behavior | Baseline, immediately after the 2-day intervention, and 3 months post-intervention. | Assessed using the "The Suicide Intervention Competency Scale" (İntihar Davranışı ile Çalışmada Yeterlilik Algısı Ölçeği). This scale is being developed as part of this study. It measures the counselor's self-perceived competency in suicide risk assessment, intervention techniques, and crisis management. As the scale is currently in the development phase, the final score range is yet to be determined; however, higher total scores will represent a higher level of perceived competency in suicide intervention. |
| The Attitudes Toward Working with Suicide Behavior | Baseline, immediately after the 2-day intervention, 3 months post-intervention. | Assessed using the "The Attitudes Toward Working with Suicide Behavior Scale" (İntihar Davranışı ile Çalışmaya Yönelik Tutum Ölçeği). This scale is being developed to evaluate the willingness and beliefs of mental health professionals regarding suicidal behavior. As the scale is in the development phase, the final score range is not yet specified; higher total scores will indicate more negative attitudes and lower willingness toward working with suicidal individuals. |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Suicide Knowledge Level | Baseline, immediately after the 2-day intervention, 3 months post-intervention. | Assessed using the "Suicide Knowledge Level Scale" (İntihara İlişkin Bilgi Düzeyi Ölçeği - İBDÖ), which is the Turkish version of the Literacy of Suicide Scale (LOSS). The scale evaluates knowledge across four domains: Symptoms, Causes/Triggers, Risk Factors, and Treatment/Prevention. It consists of 27 items, each evaluated on a 3-point Likert scale ("True", "False", or "Don't Know"). Total scores are calculated by summing the item scores and range from 0 to 27. Higher scores indicate a higher level of suicide-related knowledge. |
| Stigma Toward Suicide | Baseline, immediately after the 2-day intervention, 3 months post-intervention. | Assessed using the "Stigma of Suicide Scale (SOSS)" (İntihara Yönelik Damgalama Ölçeği - İYDÖ). This 55-item scale evaluates attitudes toward individuals who attempt suicide using a 5-point Likert scale ranging from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree). It consists of three subscales: Stigma, Isolation/Depression, and Glorification/Normalization. Subscale scores are calculated as the average response to the items within each factor, meaning the score for each subscale ranges from 1 to 5. Higher scores on a specific subscale (e.g., the Stigma subscale) indicate stronger stigmatizing attitudes or stronger agreement with that construct. |
| Gatekeeper Behaviors | Baseline, immediately after the 2-day intervention, 3 months post-intervention. | ssessed using the Gatekeeper Behavior Scale (GBS). This 11-item scale measures preparedness, likelihood, and self-efficacy regarding suicide prevention behaviors. Because the subscales use varying Likert points, raw scores are converted into a Percentage of Maximum Possible (POMP) score. The overall composite score is the average of these POMP scores, ranging from 0 to 100. Higher scores indicate a greater likelihood of engaging in gatekeeper intervention behaviors (such as identifying and referring students in distress) |
| General Attitudes Toward Suicide | Baseline, immediately after the 2-day intervention, 3 months post-intervention. | Assessed using the "Eskin Attitudes Toward Suicide Scale" (Eskin İntihara Karşı Tutumlar Ölçeği - E-İKTÖ). This 24-item scale measures general attitudes toward suicide using a 5-point Likert scale ranging from 1 (Strongly disagree) to 5 (Strongly agree). Subscale scores are calculated by averaging the responses to the items under each relevant factor. Therefore, scores for each factor range from 1 to 5, with higher scores indicating a stronger presence of the specific attitude measured by that factor (e.g., higher acceptability of suicide) |
Countries
Turkey (Türkiye)
Contacts
CONTACTTolga Köskün
CONTACTMerve Demir Budakçıgil
Outcome results
None listed