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SOS Program Goals
> Decrease suicide and suicide attempts by increasing knowledge and adaptive attitudes
about depression among students;
> Encourage help-seeking behavior for oneself or on behalf of a friend;
> Reduce stigma by linking suicide to mental illness that, like physical illness, requires treatment;
> Engage parents and school staff as partners in prevention by educating them to identify signs
of depression and suicide in youth and by providing information about available resources;
S Increase self-efficacy and access to mental health services for at-risk youth and their families;
S Engage parents and school staff as partners in prevention by teaching them to identify signs
of depression and suicide in youth and by providing information about available resources;
S Encourage schools to develop community-based partnerships to address issues associated
with student mental health.
SOS Program Evidence
The SOS program is the only youth suicide prevention program that has demonstrated an
improvement in students’ knowledge and adaptive attitudes about suicide risk and depression,
as well as a reduction in actual suicide attempts. Listed on Substance Abuse and Mental Health
Services Administration’s National Registry of Evidence-based Programs and Practices, the SOS
program has shown a reduction in self-reported suicide attempts by 64% ina randomized control
study (Schilling et al., 2016).
| T_ )) SAMHSA’s National Registry of
Le Evidence-based Programs and Practices
The SOS program is unique among suicide prevention programs as it incorporates two prominent
suicide prevention strategies into a single program:
@ An educational curriculum teaching students the signs of depression and suicide and how to
ACT if they are concerned about themselves or a friend.
e A brief screening for depression and other risk factors associated with suicidal behavior. In order
to implement the evidence-based SOS program with fidelity, both the educational curriculum and
mental health screening are necessary.
We hope that you will see the success of the program through healthier and better-educated
students who understand the symptoms of depression and suicide risk and how to respond.
We also hope you will have more parents, faculty and staff prepared to address mental health
issues including the symptoms of depression, substance use, self-injury, and suicide risk.
You are taking an important step towards protecting youth by identifying those who may have
mental health concerns, encouraging help-seeking, and connecting students to appropriate
treatment when needed.
4 | Implementer’s Guide