Signs of Suicide® (SOS®) is a youth suicide prevention program that has demonstrated an improvement in students’ knowledge and adaptive attitudes towards suicide risk and depression, as well as a reduction in actual suicide attempts.

We know that the teenage years are marked by a roller-coaster ride of emotions—challenging for teens, their parents/guardians, and educators.  It is easy to misread depression as normal adolescent turmoil; however, depression (which is one of the most common mental illnesses) appears to be occurring at a much earlier age than before.  The prevalence of depression among adolescents increased from 8 percent in 2007 to 13.3 percent in 2017 (2017 National Survey on Drug Use and Health).  Suicide also is the second leading cause of death among 11–18 year old youth in the United States (Centers for Disease Control, 2018).

To proactively address this issue, MCPS is enhancing its suicide prevention curriculum using the Signs of Suicide® (SOS®) Prevention Program.  SOS® is a youth suicide prevention program that has demonstrated an improvement in students’ knowledge and adaptive attitudes towards suicide risk and depression, as well as a reduction in actual suicide attempts. Listed on the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s National Registry of Evidence-based Programs and Practices, SOS® showed a reduction in self-reported suicide attempts by 40 to 64 percent in randomized control studies (Aseltine, et al., 2007; Schilling, et al., 2016).