Citation

Ogawa S, Suzuki H, Takahashi T, Fujita K, Murayama Y, Sato K, Matsunaga H, Motohashi Y, Fujiwara Y. Children (Basel) 2022; 9(4): e541.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2022, MDPI: Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute)

DOI

10.3390/children9040541

PMID

35455585

Abstract

As a suicide countermeasure for young people, implementing "SOS output education" that provides young people with opportunities and approaches to seeking support with community cooperation can be expected to reduce lifelong suicide risk. We implemented an "SOS output education" for junior high school students with cooperation from educators, government staff, and older people working as community volunteers. A total of 188 students were allocated to an intervention group and a waiting group. Outcome assessments were implemented at three points in time: before the program (Time 1), after the program (Time 2), and three months after the program (Time 3).

RESULTS showed that the number of people with worries increased in the intervention group compared with the waiting group between Time 1 and Time 2. There was also an increase in people with "reliable adults" between Time 1 and Time 3, and people with "adults who you can talk to at any time" increased between Time 2 and Time 3 in the intervention group. By implementing the SOS output education program with community cooperation, an increase was observed in the intervention group in terms of support-seeking awareness and the number of people with reliable adults and with adults who they can talk to at any time.

Language: en

Keywords

junior high school; local government; picture-book reading; senior volunteer; SOS program