teen Mental Health First Aid as a school-based intervention for improving peer support of adolescents at risk of suicide: Outcomes from a cluster randomised crossover trial.

Résumé

OBJECTIVES: The aims of this study were to assess evidence for a novel, universal mental health literacy programme in the school setting (teen Mental Health First Aid) as an intervention to improve peer support towards adolescents at risk of suicide and to examine whether participation in a school-based programme dealing with suicide was distressing to participants.METHOD: In a cluster randomised crossover trial, Australian high school students aged 15-17 years ( = 1605, 44.74% female, M = 15.87) received either teen Mental Health First Aid or a matched control physical first aid course. Data were collected before, immediately after and 12 months after training through online surveys assessing correct recognition of suicidality and intentions to help a fictional peer (John) who was depicted as experiencing depressive symptoms and suicidal thoughts in a vignette. Students were also asked whether any information in the training or surveys was found distressing and completed a validated measure of psychological distress (the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale).RESULTS: Students receiving teen Mental Health First Aid training were much more likely to report an increase from pre- to post-training in recognition of suicidality (OR = 1.97, 95% CI = [1.14, 3.39],  = 0.02) and appropriate first aid intentions towards a peer at risk of suicide than students receiving physical first aid (OR = 35.40, 95% CI = [19.86, 63.14],