Abstract:

Introduction: Schools serve as critical environments for identifying and addressing mental health issues among students, making it imperative for educators to be equipped with the knowledge and skills necessary to intervene effectively. This introduction aims to explore the importance of suicide prevention training for school teachers, the challenges they face, and the potential impact of such training on student outcomes. The aim of the study is to assess the knowledge on suicide prevention among school teachers at selected schools in Chennai.

Methodology: A quantitative, descriptive research design was employed to evaluate suicide prevention knowledge among higher secondary school teachers in selected Chennai schools. The study utilized non-probability purposive sampling to gather data from 65 teachers who met the inclusion criteria of currently teaching grades 11-12 and having not attended recent suicide prevention training.

Result and Findings: The study found that 62.5% of first-year B.Sc. Nursing students had inadequate knowledge, 28.75% had moderately adequate knowledge, and 8.75% had adequate knowledge on preventing nosocomial infections. In terms of practice, 57.5% had inadequate practice, 26.25% had moderately adequate practice, and 16.25% had adequate practice.

Conclusion: The study highlights the critical role school teachers have in suicide prevention but also exposes a significant gap in their knowledge and preparedness to address this issue effectively.

Keywords: Suicide prevention, Knowledge, School teachers