Table 3.
Main outcomes of studies on indicated interventions for high-risk students
| Authors (year of publication) | Details of the intervention | Study design | Target of the intervention | Main findings | Effect Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eggert et al., 1995 [67] | At risk high school students - assessment protocol plus 1-semester Personal Growth Class (PGC l) | Controlled before and after study (care-as-usual control group with a postintervention follow up) | Reduce suicidal behaviour | A total of 85% of the youth in Groups I reduced suicide-risk behaviours by 25%, with Group I showing a greater decline in suicide-risk behaviours than Group II. | Insufficient statistics |
| Eggert et al., 1995 [67] | At risk high school students - assessment protocol plus 2- semesters Personal Growth Class (PGC ll) | Controlled before and after study (care-as-usual control group with a postintervention follow up) | Reduce suicidal behaviour | A total of 65% of Group II showed reduced suicide-risk behaviours by 25%. | Insufficient statistics |
| Eggert et al., 2002 [68] | Counselors-CARE (C-CAST): assessment interview, counselling session, and social ‘connections’ intervention | Controlled before and after study (care-as-usual control group with a postintervention and 10 week follow up) | Reduce suicidal behaviour |
Statistics were not reported for interventions and control separately. Group x Trend Interaction demonstrate that the pattern of change differed significantly between at least one of the three groups. Not clear from the stats how these differed. |
Insufficient statistics |
| Eggert et al., 2002 [68] | CAST: combination of the C-CARE intervention (i.e. assessment interview, counselling session, and social ‘connections’ intervention) followed by a small group prevention program | Controlled before and after study (care-as-usual control group with a postintervention and 10 week follow up) | Reduce suicidal behaviour |
Statistics were not reported for interventions and control separately. Group x Trend Interaction demonstrate that the pattern of change differed significantly between at least one of the three groups. Not clear from the stats how these differed. |
Insufficient statistics |
| Fitzpatrick et al., 2005 [69] | Brief video intervention regarding problem solving and coping skills | RCT (time-matched intervention focusing on physical health issues for control group with a 1 week, 2 weeks, and 1-month postintervention follow up) | Reduce suicidal ideation | No significant difference between intervention and control group with regard to suicidal ideation at baseline. | Insufficient statistics |
| Fukumori et al., 2017 [70] | Three-day individual intervention program of structured writing that incorporates the emotional regulation group program and the DBT workbook | RCT (wait-list control group with a postintervention, 2 week and 1-month follow up) | Reduce suicidal ideation | No significant reduction in suicidal ideation. | Small (d = 0.35)a |
| Hetrick et al., 2017 [71] | Internet-based cognitive behavioural therapy (Reframe-IT) | RCT (treatment-as-usual control group with a 10 week and 22 week postintervention follow up) | Reduce suicidal ideation | No significant reduction in suicidal ideation at postintervention assessment. | Small (d = −0.35) |
| King et al., 2015 [72] | Electronic bridge mental health services (eBridge) | RCT (treatment-as-usual control group with an 8 week postintervention follow up) | Increase in help-seeking behaviour | Significant increase in readiness to intervene with own suicidal behaviour by talking to family. | Large (d = 2.74)a |
| Significant increase in readiness to intervene with own suicidal behaviour by talking to a friend. | Large (d = 2.48)a | ||||
| Significant increase in readiness to intervene with own suicidal behaviour by seeing a mental health professional. | Large (d = 3.16)a | ||||
| No significant increase in readiness to seek information. | Large (d = 1.60)a | ||||
| No significant increase in readiness to seek out self-help or a support group. | Small (d = 0.50)a | ||||
| No significant increase in readiness to seek academic support services. | Small (d = −0.44)a | ||||
| Reduce stigma | Significant reduction in level of personal stigma scores at postintervention. | Large (d = −1.07)a | |||
| Significant reduction in level of perceived public stigma at postintervention. | Medium (d = −0.59)a | ||||
| Lin et al., 2019 [73] | Cognitive therapy group program | RCT (cognitive therapy control group with a 4-, 8-, 20-, and 32-week postintervention follow up) | Reduce suicidal ideation | Significant reduction in suicidal ideation at 4 weeks follow up. | Large (d = 5.24) |
| Significant reduction in suicidal ideation at 8 weeks follow up. | Large (d = 4.39) | ||||
| Significant reduction in suicidal ideation at 20 weeks follow up. | Large (d = 3.67) | ||||
| Significant reduction in suicidal ideation at 32 weeks follow up. | Large (d = 3.30) | ||||
| Reduce suicidal behaviour | Significant reduction in suicide attempt 4 week follow up. | Small (d = 0.32) | |||
| Significant reduction in suicide attempt at 8 weeks follow up. | Small (d = 0.23) | ||||
| Significant reduction in suicide attempt at 20 weeks follow up. | Small (d = 0.18) | ||||
| Significant reduction in suicide attempt at 32 weeks follow up. | Small (d = 0.14) | ||||
| Lin et al., 2019 [73] | Dialectical behaviour therapy group program | RCT (cognitive therapy control group with a 4-, 8-, 20-, and 32-week postintervention follow up) | Reduce suicidal ideation | Significant reduction in suicidal ideation found at 4 weeks follow up. | Large (d = 5.24) |
| Significant reduction in suicidal ideation found at 8 weeks follow up. | Large (d = 4.39) | ||||
| Significant reduction in suicidal ideation found at 20 weeks follow up. | Large (d = 3.67) | ||||
| Significant reduction in suicidal ideation found at 32 weeks follow up. | Large (d = 3.30) | ||||
| Reduce suicidal behaviour | Significant reduction in suicide reattempt at 4 weeks follow up. | Small (d = 0.32) | |||
| Significant reduction in suicide reattempt at 8 weeks follow up. | Small (d = 0.23) | ||||
| Significant reduction in suicide reattempt at 20 weeks follow up. | Small (d = 0.18) | ||||
| Significant reduction in suicide reattempt at 32 weeks follow up. | Small (d = 0.14) | ||||
| Pistorello et al., 2012 [74] | 12-month long term Dialectical Behaviour Treatment | RCT (optimised treatment-as-usual control group with a 3 month and 18 month follow up) | Reduce suicidal behaviour | Significant reduction in suicidality (i.e., suicidal thoughts and the person’s estimation of the likelihood they would consider, attempt, and die from suicide in the future). | Medium (d = 0.53)a |
| Tang et al., 2009 [75] | Program of Intensive Interpersonal Psychotherapy for depressed adolescents with suicidal risk (IPT-A-IN) | RCT (treatment-as-usual control group with a postintervention follow up) | Reduce suicidal ideation | Significant reduction in suicidal ideation. | Medium (d = −0.78) |
| Thompson et al., 2000 [76] | Personal Growth Semester 1 | Three-group, repeated measures design (Measure of Adolescent Potential for Suicide control group with 18 week postintervention follow up) | Reduce suicidal behaviour | Significant reduction in suicide risk behaviours. | Small (d = 0.12) |
| Thompson et al., 2000 [76] | Personal Growth Semester 2 | Three-group, repeated measures design (Measure of Adolescent Potential for Suicide control group with 18 week postintervention follow up) | Reduce suicidal behaviour | Significant reduction in suicide risk behaviours. | Small (d = 0.21) |
| Xavier et al., 2019 [77] | Problem solving intervention | RCT (care-as-usual control group with 1-, 3-, and 6 month follow up | Unspecified: suicidal orientation | Significant reduction in suicidal orientation at postintervention assessment. | Large (ηp = 0.91)a |
| Significant reduction in suicidal orientation at 6-months follow up assessment. | Medium (ηp = 0.65)a |
aEffect size calculated by the authors and reported as it is reported in the original study