CGG Project Zelfmoordpreventie

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CGG Project Zelfmoordpreventie
Supported by
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Suicidal Behaviour in Schoolsimplementation of
prevention strategies

• Vicky Van Dooren, Karl Andriessen (Coordinator),
• Suzy Van der Meeren, Jolien Mertens,
• Karen de Waele, Annemie Durang,
• An Lievrouw, Marijke Vandervoort, Rita Vanhove
• Suicide Prevention Program
• Flemish Mental Health Centres
• Belgium
• info_at_zelfmoordpreventievlaanderen.be

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Aims of the workshop

• To introduce a framework of schools suicide
  prevention policy
• To introduce a theoretical framework
• Implementation options
• Discussion experiences, good practices,
  dilemmas

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I. Introduction

• Suicidal behaviour (attempts) are frequent in
  young people
• 6 of pupils one attempt
• 2 gt one attempt (De Clercq et al., 1996)
• Pupils spent half of their time awake at school
• Schools are important gatekeepers to reach young
  people

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I. Introduction (2)

• The literature recommends the implementation of
  prevention policies in schools
• The policy aims
• To prevent suicidal behaviour
• To prevent repetition and imitation
• To provide guidance for specific interventions
• A policy can be outlined in a script including
  four chapters
• Early detection
• Crisis intervention
• After a suicide attempt
• After a suicide

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I. Introduction (3)

• A script includes in each chapter
• Detailed information regarding
• What has to be done
• When
• By whom
• For whom
• Contact details of
• Key school staff (Director, Head Master, )
• School counsellers (inside or outside school)
• Medical service / GPs
• Anti Poison Centre
• Victim Care, Mental Health Centre,
• A script is made to measure.

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II. Theoretical prevention model

• Prevention pyramid (Deklerck et al, 2001)
• Level 4 Cure
• Level 3 Specific prevention
• Level 2 General prevention
• Level 1 Basic prevention
• Level 0 Society
• Activities re knowledge attitudes
• Structural initiatives

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II. Theoretical prevention model (2)

• Strengths of the model
• To make an inventory of existing activities
• Interaction between different levels activities
• Detecting gaps in preventive efforts, find a
  balance between the different levels
• Applicable for individual schools

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III. Implementation

• Meeting with key school staff and pupil
  counselling service
• To clarify the goal of the prevention policy
• Experiences with suicidal behaviour
• Inventory of resources (staff members, services,
  other scripts , e.g., on bereavement, drugs,
  bullying)
• To understand the concept of the piramid
• To understand the structure of the script

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III. Implementation (2)

• Training of school counsellors and key school
  staff
• Information for teachers
• Information for pupils (crisis lines, etc.)
• Parents?
• Referral and intervention agreements with
  services (school counsellors, GPs, victim care,
  mental health centre,)
• Yearly updates

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IV. Discussion

• Experiences with suicide prevention policies in
  schools?
• Which persons need to be contacted, inside or
  outside the school? Who are the partners?
• How to raise awareness?
• Good practices in implementation strategies?
• How to make implementation sustainable?
• What are critical success factors?
• Dilemma how to prioritize preventive efforts?
  (e.g., general versus specific prevention)
• Dilemma to focus on suicide prevention, or on
  various ental health topics, or on health
  promotion?

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Thank you?