Effectiveness of a School-based Peer Support Intervention on Suicidal Ideation Among Adolescents: A Quasi-experimental Study

Background: School-based suicide prevention programs have shown potential in lowering suicidal ideation among adolescents. Peer support interventions represent a promising, low-cost strategy that can be integrated into school health services. The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of a school-based peer support intervention in reducing suicidal ideation among adolescents. Methods: This study employed a quasi-experimental pre-test-post-test design with a control group. Purposive sampling was used to choose 146 adolescents, who were then divided into two groups: the intervention group ( n = 73) and the control group ( n = 73). The intervention group received structured peer support training sessions delivered over 6 weeks, while the control group received routine school counseling. Suicidal ideation was measured before and after the intervention using the Positive and Negative Suicide Ideation (PANSI) Scale. Data were analyzed using Wilcoxon signed-rank tests and Mann-Whitney U tests. Results: The intervention group demonstrated a statistically significant reduction in suicidal ideation scores following the peer support program ( P < .05), whereas the control group showed no discernible change. In addition, participants in the intervention group showed increased protective factors against suicidal ideation after the intervention. Conclusion: Peer support programs in schools are successful in lowering suicidal ideation and enhancing protective factors among adolescents. This low-cost and scalable intervention model may be integrated into school mental health programs and implemented by school health nurses to improve adolescent mental health outcomes.