High School Suicide: Knowledge and Opinions of Teachers

Because high school faculty have infrequently been asked their views about high school suicide, 167 high school teachers from five high schools in four school districts were administered a questionnaire that asked about a variety of issues related to suicide and high school students, including the nature of the problem, risk factors, and solutions. Results indicated that a significant percentage of faculty appear uninformed about high school suicide, including what action to take when a student is at risk, although 61% of the sample felt suicide to be a problem for high school students. The need for increased education of high school teachers about the issue of suicide is discussed.