Psychological effects of a suicide prevention unit on adolescents' levels of stress, anxiety and hopelessness: Implications for counselling psychologists

Abstract

This study examined the effects of a senior high school suicide prevention unit on students' levels of stress, anxiety, and hopelessness. An experimental group that received instruction in suicide prevention, and that demonstrated special needs, i.e. low social support, high stress, high anxiety, and/or high degrees of hopelessness, was compared with an experimental group that did not demonstrate special needs, and with two control groups that received no instruction, one with, and one without, special needs. Results indicated that both the experimental group with special needs and the experimental group without special needs showed significant increases in factual knowledge; the experimental group with special needs showed significant change on psychological variables, while the control group with special needs did not. No significant differential changes were noted between the experimental group with special needs and the control group with special needs. Implications for counselling psychologists are considered.