High School Health Teachers’ Perceived Self-Efficacy in Identifying Students at Risk for Suicide

A national random sample of 228 high school health teachers completed a 45-item survey to examine their perceived self-efficacy regarding adolescent suicide. Most respondents believed it was their role to recognize students at risk for suicide, believed that if they did recognize students at risk it would reduce the chances that the student would die by suicide, & believed that one of the most important things they could do would be to prevent a suicidal student from dying by suicide. However, only 9% believed they could recognize a student at risk. High efficacy expectation scores were associated with working at a school that offered an inservice program on adolescent suicide, included teaching about suicide prevention in the curriculum, & had a crisis intervention team. (23 refs.)