Department of Advanced Nursing Science, University of Venda, Private Bag X, Thohoyandou 0950, South Africa.
Department of Work and Social Psychology, Maastricht University, Minderbroedersberg 6, 6211 LK Maastricht, The Netherlands.
Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2023 May 18;20(10):5856. doi: 10.3390/ijerph20105856.
Adolescents in South Africa have higher suicide rates than older people. A suicide or unexpected death of a fellow student can result in increased copycat behavior. Previous studies have placed emphasis on the significance of school involvement in the prevention of suicide. The study sought to explore the perspective on the prevention of suicide among school learners by school management. A qualitative phenomenological design was applied. The study used purposive sampling to select six high schools. In-depth interviews were conducted with six focus group discussions comprising fifty school management. A semi-structured interview guide guided the interviews. Data were analyzed using a general inductive approach. Findings revealed that school management should be supported through workshops to increase their skills in handling stressful situations at school. Support for learners through audio-visuals, professional counseling, and awareness campaigns also emerged. Parents-school partnership was said to be effective in preventing suicide among learners as both parties will be free to discuss the problems faced by the learner. In conclusion, empowering school management in the prevention of suicide is critical for Limpopo learners. Awareness campaigns conducted by suicide survivors where they can share their testimonies is necessary. School-based professional counseling services should be established to benefit all learners, particularly those experiencing financial challenges. Pamphlets in local languages should be developed for students to convey information about suicide.
南非青少年的自杀率高于老年人。一名学生自杀或意外死亡可能会导致更多的模仿行为。先前的研究强调了学校参与预防自杀的重要性。本研究旨在探讨学校管理层对预防自杀的看法。研究采用定性现象学设计。研究采用目的性抽样选择了六所高中。对六组焦点小组讨论中的五十名学校管理人员进行了深入访谈。半结构化访谈指南指导了访谈。使用一般归纳方法对数据进行了分析。研究结果表明，应该通过研讨会为学校管理人员提供支持，以提高他们在学校处理紧张情况的技能。通过视听设备、专业咨询和宣传活动为学习者提供支持也很重要。家长-学校伙伴关系被认为是预防学习者自杀的有效途径，因为双方都可以自由讨论学习者面临的问题。总之，赋予学校管理层预防自杀的权力对于林波波省的学习者至关重要。自杀幸存者开展的宣传活动，让他们分享自己的经历是必要的。应该建立基于学校的专业咨询服务，使所有学习者受益，特别是那些面临经济困难的学习者。应该用当地语言编写小册子，以便向学生传达有关自杀的信息。
