Perceptions of Suicide Prevention Measures among Japanese Junior High School Teachers

Abstract

Background: Student suicide rates have been increasing in Japan since 2009, rising sharply in 2022. Schools are crucial sites for intervention in youth suicide; however, little is known about how teachers approach the risk of student suicide.

Objective: This study aimed to understand junior high school teachers’ perceptions of suicide, how they detect signs of suicide in their students, and their resistance to and difficulty in implementing suicide prevention measures. Further, the study also sought to uncover how to support collaboration between junior high school teachers and nursing professionals.

Methods: We conducted semi-structured interviews with ten in-service middle school teachers across Japan. Data were analyzed using a qualitative inductive procedure to extract codes, which were then organized into categories and subcategories.

Results: Eight men and two women with a mean age of 44.0 ± 6.6 years participated in the interviews. The analysis revealed 107 codes related to existing suicide prevention measures, organized into four categories (early detection and preventive measures for students at risk, creating an environment conducive to reporting distress, strengthening the cooperation of counseling and support, and improving skills and abilities for suicide prevention); 68 codes related to suicide risk were organized into six categories (behaviors and actions that could lead to suicide, school refusal and bullying should be monitored, unstable family life, poor relationship-building skills, death of someone close, and trivial and unknown omens); and 86 codes related to teachers’ resistance and barriers to suicide prevention measures were organized into four categories (anxiety about dealing with suicide, difficulty with dealing with diverse issues, lack of awareness regarding suicide prevention, and lack of a support system).

Conclusions: The findings suggest that it may be helpful to introduce school consultation opportunities for nurses to reduce teachers’ resistance to suicide prevention education; further, using the nursing profession’s knowledge in mental health and other counseling services to support teachers may be effective.