Suicide prevention programs in high school adolescents and the reduction of suicidal behavior: a rapid systematic review

Abstract

Background: Adolescent suicide is a growing public health problem that requires timely attention by health authorities, health professionals and the community as a whole. Objective: To determine if the use of suicide prevention programs in high school adolescents decreases suicidal behavior. Method: A rapid systematic review of articles published in scientific journals in the Scopus, Web Of Science and MedLine databases from 2011 to 2021 was performed. Results: Thirty-three articles containing programs applied to adolescents in secondary schools were analyzed out of the 91 initially found. Conclusions: The application of the programs showed a significant decrease in suicidal behavior in adolescents. The programs with the best response in their application were those that addressed the adolescent in a group context.