Grant: Project Grant

Suicide rates in youth have been increasing over time in Canada and most evidence-based interventions focus on prevention once suicidal behaviour has already occurred. There is a dearth of universal interventions targeting suicide prevention and promoting coping before periods of high risk. Our group identified that the third book in the popular Harry Potter series functions as an allegory for the author's experience of depression and suicidal ideation as well as how she learned coping skills based on cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) to overcome them. We have created a 3-month teacher-delivered curriculum for middle schoolers imparting mental health literacy and coping skills to youth. In 2019, it was piloted in students in a rural school board in Eastern Ontario (n=78). Before and after data showed a 44% overall reduction in suicide scores and a statistically significant improvement in measures of coping overall with boys also showing significant reductions in depression and anxiety. This study will build on that pilot data to test the impact of the intervention in a more diverse, urban setting using a stepped wedge design such that all youth receive it but in staggered fashion so that the impact of the intervention can be probed. Outcome measures are both quantitative (validated questionnaires) and qualitative (focus groups). Health administrative data will be used to test whether youth who receive the intervention show different patterns of healthcare utilization and fewer emergency visits for self-harm/suicide attempts.