Online Suicide Prevention and Intervention Training for Secondary School Counselors

Development and Examination of the Efficacy of an Online Suicide Prevention and Intervention Training Program for Psychological Counselors in Secondary Education Institutions

The aim of this study is to develop and evaluate the effectiveness of the Online Suicide Prevention and Intervention Training Program (Çevrimiçi İntihar Önleme ve Müdahale Eğitim Programı - ÇİÖMEP) for school counselors working in secondary education. Suicide is a major public health concern among adolescents, and school counselors play a vital role in early identification and intervention. This research uses a randomized controlled trial (RCT) design to determine if the training improves counselors' knowledge, perceived competence, and attitudes toward suicide prevention while reducing the stigma associated with suicidal behavior.

Study Overview

• Status: Recruiting
• Conditions: Suicidal Ideation; Suicide Prevention; School Counseling
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: Online Suicide Prevention and Intervention Training Program (ÇİÖMEP)

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Estimated): 60
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

• Study Contact: Name: Merve Demir Budakçıgil; Phone Number: +905078437959; Email: merve.demir@adu.edu.tr
• Study Contact Backup: Name: Tolga Köskün; Phone Number: +905362067757; Email: tolga.koskun@adu.edu.tr

Study Locations

• Turkey (Türkiye)
  • Aydin, Turkey (Türkiye)
    • Recruiting
    • Aydın Adnan Menderes University
    • Contact: Tolga Köskün; Phone Number: +905362067757; Email: tolga.koskun@adu.edu.tr

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult; Older Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Currently working as a psychological counselor in secondary education institutions affiliated with the Ministry of National Education in Izmir, Turkey.
• Hold a bachelor's degree in Psychology or Psychological Counseling and Guidance (PDR) from a higher education institution.
• Possess the appropriate technical infrastructure to participate in online training (e.g., a stable internet connection, computer/tablet, and a private environment).
• Willing to participate in the study voluntarily.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Having lost a relative or close friend to suicide within the last year.
• Having participated in a similar suicide prevention training program within the last 6 months.
• Failure to attend a total of two or more training sessions during the intervention phase.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Prevention
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Online Suicide Prevention and Intervention Training Group; Participants in this group will receive the "Online Suicide Prevention and Intervention Training Program" online.	Behavioral: Online Suicide Prevention and Intervention Training Program (ÇİÖMEP); This is an online training program designed for school counselors. It consists of 4 sessions held over 2 days. The training covers: Awareness: Understanding suicide myths, warning signs, and attitudes.; Assessment: How to assess suicide risk in students and create safety plans.; Intervention: Specific counseling techniques to help students who are at risk (e.g., instilling hope, problem-solving).; Crisis Management: How to manage a crisis in school and what to do after a suicide occurs (postvention)
No Intervention: Waiting List Control Group; Participants in this group will not receive the training during the study. They will be placed on a waiting list. They will receive the same online training only after the study is completely finished.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
The Perceived Competency in Working with Suicide Behavior	Assessed using the "The Suicide Intervention Competency Scale" (İntihar Davranışı ile Çalışmada Yeterlilik Algısı Ölçeği). This scale is being developed as part of this study. It measures the counselor's self-perceived competency in suicide risk assessment, intervention techniques, and crisis management. As the scale is currently in the development phase, the final score range is yet to be determined; however, higher total scores will represent a higher level of perceived competency in suicide intervention.	Baseline, immediately after the 2-day intervention, and 3 months post-intervention.
The Attitudes Toward Working with Suicide Behavior	Assessed using the "The Attitudes Toward Working with Suicide Behavior Scale" (İntihar Davranışı ile Çalışmaya Yönelik Tutum Ölçeği). This scale is being developed to evaluate the willingness and beliefs of mental health professionals regarding suicidal behavior. As the scale is in the development phase, the final score range is not yet specified; higher total scores will indicate more negative attitudes and lower willingness toward working with suicidal individuals.	Baseline, immediately after the 2-day intervention, 3 months post-intervention.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Suicide Knowledge Level	Assessed using the "Suicide Knowledge Level Scale" (İntihara İlişkin Bilgi Düzeyi Ölçeği - İBDÖ), which is the Turkish version of the Literacy of Suicide Scale (LOSS). The scale evaluates knowledge across four domains: Symptoms, Causes/Triggers, Risk Factors, and Treatment/Prevention. It consists of 27 items, each evaluated on a 3-point Likert scale ("True", "False", or "Don't Know"). Total scores are calculated by summing the item scores and range from 0 to 27. Higher scores indicate a higher level of suicide-related knowledge.	Baseline, immediately after the 2-day intervention, 3 months post-intervention.
Stigma Toward Suicide	Assessed using the "Stigma of Suicide Scale (SOSS)" (İntihara Yönelik Damgalama Ölçeği - İYDÖ). This 55-item scale evaluates attitudes toward individuals who attempt suicide using a 5-point Likert scale ranging from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree). It consists of three subscales: Stigma, Isolation/Depression, and Glorification/Normalization. Subscale scores are calculated as the average response to the items within each factor, meaning the score for each subscale ranges from 1 to 5. Higher scores on a specific subscale (e.g., the Stigma subscale) indicate stronger stigmatizing attitudes or stronger agreement with that construct.	Baseline, immediately after the 2-day intervention, 3 months post-intervention.
Gatekeeper Behaviors	ssessed using the Gatekeeper Behavior Scale (GBS). This 11-item scale measures preparedness, likelihood, and self-efficacy regarding suicide prevention behaviors. Because the subscales use varying Likert points, raw scores are converted into a Percentage of Maximum Possible (POMP) score. The overall composite score is the average of these POMP scores, ranging from 0 to 100. Higher scores indicate a greater likelihood of engaging in gatekeeper intervention behaviors (such as identifying and referring students in distress)	Baseline, immediately after the 2-day intervention, 3 months post-intervention.
General Attitudes Toward Suicide	Assessed using the "Eskin Attitudes Toward Suicide Scale" (Eskin İntihara Karşı Tutumlar Ölçeği - E-İKTÖ). This 24-item scale measures general attitudes toward suicide using a 5-point Likert scale ranging from 1 (Strongly disagree) to 5 (Strongly agree). Subscale scores are calculated by averaging the responses to the items under each relevant factor. Therefore, scores for each factor range from 1 to 5, with higher scores indicating a stronger presence of the specific attitude measured by that factor (e.g., higher acceptability of suicide)	Baseline, immediately after the 2-day intervention, 3 months post-intervention.

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Aydin Adnan Menderes University
• Collaborators: The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): January 1, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): April 1, 2026
• Study Completion (Estimated): November 1, 2026

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: February 16, 2026
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: February 21, 2026
• First Posted (Actual): February 25, 2026

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): February 25, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: February 21, 2026
• Last Verified: November 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Suicide Intervention Training; School Counselors; Secondary Education
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Behavioral Symptoms; Self-Injurious Behavior; Suicide; Behavior; Suicide Prevention; Suicidal Ideation
• Other Study ID Numbers: ADÜ-ETIK-16/13

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: YES
• IPD Plan Description: De-identified individual participant data üunderlying the results of this study will be shared. This includes demographic variables and de-identified assessment scores collected from the participating psychological counselors.
• IPD Sharing Time Frame: Data will become available beginning 6 months after the publication of the primary study results and will remain accessible for a period of 36 months.
• IPD Sharing Access Criteria: Access to the de-identified data will be granted to qualified academic researchers who provide a methodologically sound proposal, strictly for the purpose of meta-analysis or replicating study findings. To obtain the data, researchers must contact the principal investigator (Dr. Tolga Köskün) with email. A formal data sharing agreement will be required to ensure the continued protection of participant confidentiality.
• IPD Sharing Supporting Information Type: STUDY_PROTOCOL; SAP; ICF

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No