In each issue of the Youth Programs e-news, we will feature REAL questions from participating
schools. We want to hear from you. Our e-news is published every other month
except during the summer. Please email us your questions. We reserve the right
to edit questions for clarity and brevity.
Question:
Will implementing the SOS Sign of Suicide program over a longer period of time
alter the effectiveness of the screening tool? My concern is that students may
talk to other students who have not yet taken the screening, possibly affecting
their answers about that particular component rather than considering the
“screening” the whole program.
Answer:
The SOS program is designed to educate both student and school employees on the
signs of suicide, and stresses the importance of referring a friend to a mental
health professional if they are in need of help. It is perfectly fine to
implement the SOS program multiple times during the year. The SOS program is a
comprehensive program, with the student screening tool—the Brief Screening for
Adolescent Depression (BSAD)—being just one component. The BSAD
screening form is not
a diagnostic tool, rather it helps to identify students who may need to talk to
someone about their feelings. The ACT (Acknowledge, Care, and Tell) message is
something that can be shared all year long, and it is not unusual for a school
to implement the program over various days or classroom periods. While some
students may talk to each other about the screening, this will not harm the
overall effectiveness of the program, as the SOS program shares its message not
only through the screening, but also through the binder materials, student DVD,
discussion questions, and student newsletters.
Q&A Section is designed to provide basic, general information
about the SOS Signs of Suicide® (SOS) and Signs of Self-Injury
Prevention programs and serve as a point of reference for participating
schools.