Summary
SOS Signs of Suicide is an evidence-based youth suicide prevention program that teaches middle and high school students how to identify warning signs of suicide and depression. Trusted by thousands of schools across the country and listed on the Suicide Prevention Resource Center’s Best Practices Registry, SOS can be delivered in a single class period and encourages students to ACT® (Acknowledge, Care, Tell) if they are worried about themselves or a friend.
Strategies supporting educational equity (CASEL)
Not available at this time.
Implementation
Below are key implementation details for this program. These specifications help determine if the program is a good fit for your school or organization.
Grade(s)
Middle (6-8), High School (9-12)
Setting
Classroom, Schoolwide, Home
Language
English
Cost
$500 per school (annual license)
# Lessons
Delivered in a single class period; includes supplemental extension lessons
Program Design
Tier 1 (Universal)
Technology Requirements
Online subscription
Staffing Requirements
No additional staffing required
Professional Development
Virtual
Outcomes
Advocate for reducing stigma associated with emotional and mental and behavioral health
Compare & contrast emotional, mental-behavioral illness, mental well-being and concurrent disorders
Decreased suicidal behavior
Describe how self-harm or suicide impacts other people
Describe laws related to minors accessing mental health care
Explain how to help someone who is thinking about attempting suicide
Identify school and community resources that can help a person with emotional, mental and behavioral health concerns
Improved Academic Performance
Improved attitude/behavior related to suicide
Improved identification of individuals at-risk for suicide
Improved Identity Development/ Agency
Improved Prosocial Behavior
Improved School Climate
Improved School Connectedness
Improved SEL Skills and Attitudes
Improved Teaching Practices
Increased help-seeking behavior
Reduced Emotional Distress
Reduced Problem Behavior
Mental Health Literacy Components
This program addresses the following mental health literacy components:
Understanding stigma and strategies for stigma reduction
Understanding how to foster & maintain positive mental health
Understanding how to seek help effectively
Understanding common mental health disorders, signs and symptoms, and treatments
Evidence of Effectiveness
An RCT with a group of 4,000 high school students found a 40% reduction in suicide attempts, greater knowledge of depression and suicide, and more adaptive attitudes towards these issues. These findings were consistent in subsequent studies (Aseltine & DeMartino, 2004; Aseltine et al., 2007). Another RCT with 400 6-8th grade students found that participants were 96% less likely to report engaging in suicidal behaviors after participating in the program (Schilling et al., 2014). Another RCT with 1,000 9th-grade students found a 64% decrease in likelihood of engaging in a suicide attempt (Schilling et al., 2016). More recently, a 3-year pilot study with 9-12 grade students found that the SOS prevention program was effective in enhancing students’ knowledge and awareness of depression and suicide, including learning how to seek help for themselves and their peers (Volungis, 2022).
Published Studies
Aseltine, R. H., & DeMartino, R. (2004). An outcome evaluation of the SOS suicide prevention program. American Journal of Public Health, 94(3), 446-451. https://doi.org/ 10.2105/ajph.94.3.446
Aseltine, R. H., James, A., Schilling, E. A., & Glanovsky, J. (2007). Evaluating the SOS suicide prevention program: a replication and extension. BMC Public Health, 7. https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2458-7-161
Schilling, E. A., Lawless, M. Buchanan, L., & Aseltine, R. H. (2014). "Signs of suicide" shows promise as a middle school suicide prevention program. Suicide & Life-Threatening Behavior, 44(6), 653-667. https://doi.org/10.1111/sltb.12097
Schilling, E. A., Aseltine, R. H., & James, A. (2016). The SOS suicide prevention program: Further evidence of efficacy and effectiveness. Prevention Science, 17(2), 157-166. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11121-015-0594-3
Volungis, A. (2022). The signs of suicide (SOS) prevention program pilot study: High school implementation recommendations. North American Journal of Psychology, 22(3), 455-468.