Secondary school learners' essays on suicide prevention

Objectives: Considering the extent of the problem of suicidal behaviour among young people, the need for prevention programmes is paramount. The KwaZulu-Natal based 'Love to Live' campaign is a programme aimed at the prevention of suicidal behaviour among children and adolescents. Methods: The present study is an analysis of 63 essays written by secondary school learners on the subject of suicide prevention. Results: Just over two-thirds of the essays revealed reasonable knowledge without serious inaccuracies, with over half the sample citing conflict with parents as precipitants to suicidal behaviour. Over one-third of the essays blamed suicidal persons for being ineffective in dealing with their life problems, and over one-third identified mental health workers and parents as sources of help. Conclusions: The results are discussed in terms of adolescents' views of suicidal behaviour, as well as within the context of the limitations of the study methodology.