What’s So Special About Being Evidence-Based?

We’re proud that our programs are evidence-based and evidence-informed. But what exactly do we mean by that and what does that say about our content?

Evidence-based programs incorporate the best research available with clinical expertise while keeping in mind the specific context of the participants (American Psychological Association). The term evidence-based is often used interchangeably with the term evidence-informed. Although research has not yet detailed differences in the effectiveness or outcomes of evidence-based over evidence-informed practices, we make the following distinctions:

• our content that has been the subject of rigorous research is evidence-based;
• our content that builds on the principles and framework of our evidence-based programs as well as the best available research in the field but has not yet been fully evaluated is evidence-informed.

Evidence-Based

By the criteria detailed above, our flagship program, SOS Signs of Suicide for Students in middle and high schools, is thoroughly evidence-based. Being evidence-based means that we know and you can trust that SOS is effective at increasing knowledge of depression and suicide and reducing suicide attempts.

A clinical trial evaluating SOS for Students was published in 2004 with a follow-up and extension published in 2007. The results of this study demonstrated that youth who received SOS student training were approximately 40% less likely to report a suicide attempt in the three months after the training compared to youth who hadn’t been through the SOS program.

“This [study] provides confirmation that the SOS program is a potent tool for curtailing suicidal behavior among diverse groups of high school-aged youth in the United States. SOS continues to be the only universal school-based suicide prevention program for which a reduction in self-reported suicide attempts has been documented with a randomized experimental design. As such it merits serious consideration from teachers, school counselors, and administrators seeking to bolster their school’s health curricula and prevention portfolio.” (Aseltine et al., 2007, “Evaluating the SOS suicide prevention program: a replication and extension”)

In 2016, another study provided further evidence of SOS for Students’ effectiveness. This randomized controlled trial (the “gold standard” of research studies) built on the previous study by adding another important element of program evaluation: pre- and post-testing – which means that members of both treatment and control groups were surveyed before and after the SOS program was administered. This trial found that students who received SOS training were approximately 64% less likely to report a suicide attempt in the three months after the training compared with students who hadn’t been through the SOS program.

“…[T]his study has strengthened and extended evidence that SOS prevents suicidal behavior, both planning and attempts, in vulnerable high school students, and has increased confidence for causal inference by including pre-test measures in the evaluation.” (Schilling et al., 2016, “The SOS Suicide Prevention Program: Further Evidence of Efficacy and Effectiveness”)

Finally, a clinical trial published in 2014 specifically examined the middle school program of SOS for Students, whereas the previous studies had focused on the high school program. Participation in SOS was associated with increases in knowledge of suicide and depression. Additionally, students who reported suicidal ideation in the pre-test before receiving SOS training were 96% less likely to report suicidal behaviors (ideation, planning, and/or attempts) at the post-test after participating in the SOS program than students with pre-test ideation in the control group. Further research in a 2021 study confirmed the increase in knowledge of suicide and depression and added the perspective of middle school implementation staff.

Evidence-Informed

Our other programs are evidence-informed, meaning that though they are rooted in our evidence-based content and the best research in the field of suicide prevention, they are yet to be fully evaluated.

SOS for School Staff, our one-hour online training for K-12 teachers and staff, is grounded in the principles of SOS. Initial research in 2023 into SOS for School Staff found high levels of acceptability as well as self-reported knowledge and confidence. Further research in 2024 concluded that “SOS for School Staff appears to be an effective training model.” We are excited about these preliminary findings and look forward to further research that will move this program to evidence-based.

As SOS for Students and its ACT (Acknowledge, Care, Tell) model are the foundation of our SOS for Higher Ed program for students, faculty, and staff, these courses are evidence-informed. This pair of trainings – one for college/university students and a second for faculty and staff – is among our newest offerings and evaluation is underway.

For full details on all of these studies, check out our case study on the Evidence Behind SOS or contact info@mindwise.org with questions.