Review: Adolescents' perspectives on and experiences with post-primary school-based suicide prevention as end-users, co-creators and peer helpers - a systematic review meta-ethnography.

In 30 seconds

This systematic review and meta-ethnography synthesised qualitative research on adolescents’ experiences of post-primary school-based suicide prevention interventions. Sixteen journal articles and dissertations were included. Adolescents participated as intervention end-users, co-creators and peer helpers. The synthesis identified three interrelated influences on engagement: how adolescents were involved, trust in facilitators, peers, school personnel and schools, and sharing personal experiences to foster connection. The findings also highlighted how school contexts intersect with adolescents’ experiences. The review concludes that understanding young people’s perspectives may help improve intervention effectiveness and implementation.

Key findings

• Sixteen journal articles and dissertations were retained for the qualitative synthesis.
• Adolescents engaged with interventions as end-users, co-creators and peer helpers.
• Engagement was shaped by how adolescents were involved, trust in people and schools, and personal experience sharing.

Why it matters

School-based suicide prevention depends not only on intervention content but also on how adolescents experience and engage with it. The synthesis highlights youth involvement, trust and opportunities for personal sharing as relevant considerations for designing and implementing programmes in school contexts. These insights may inform efforts to make interventions more acceptable and effective, while recognising that the review synthesises qualitative experiences rather than measuring intervention outcomes.

What to keep in mind

The review synthesised qualitative findings and does not establish the effects of specific interventions on suicide-related outcomes.