Online Suicide Prevention and Intervention Training for Secondary School Counselors

Official title

Development and Examination of the Efficacy of an Online Suicide Prevention and Intervention Training Program for Psychological Counselors in Secondary Education Institutions

Overview

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

• Behavioral Online 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

Primary outcome measures

• The Perceived Competency in Working with Suicide Behavior [Time frame: Baseline, immediately after the 2-day intervention, and 3 months post-intervention.]
• The Attitudes Toward Working with Suicide Behavior [Time frame: Baseline, immediately after the 2-day intervention, 3 months post-intervention.]

Secondary outcome measures (4)

• Suicide Knowledge Level [Time frame: Baseline, immediately after the 2-day intervention, 3 months post-intervention.]
• Stigma Toward Suicide [Time frame: Baseline, immediately after the 2-day intervention, 3 months post-intervention.]
• Gatekeeper Behaviors [Time frame: Baseline, immediately after the 2-day intervention, 3 months post-intervention.]
• General Attitudes Toward Suicide [Time frame: Baseline, immediately after the 2-day intervention, 3 months post-intervention.]

Eligibility criteria

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.

Criteria are shown verbatim from the registry (in English). Final eligibility is always assessed by the study center.

Healthy volunteers: Yes

Study design

Allocation

Randomized

Model

Parallel assignment

Masking

Open label

Primary purpose

Prevention

Study locations

Turkey (Türkiye) · 1 center

• Aydın Adnan Menderes University — Aydin

Identifiers

NCT: NCT07432438 · ADÜ-ETIK-16/13

Primary sources (government registries)

• ClinicalTrials.gov (US NIH)

View this study on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗