LEADS: For Youth (Linking Education and Awareness of Depression and Suicide) is a curriculum for high school students in grades 9-12 that is designed to increase knowledge of depression and suicide, modify perceptions of depression and suicide, increase knowledge of suicide prevention resources, and improve intentions to engage in help-seeking behaviors. The curriculum addresses such topics as depression and its symptoms, the link between depression and suicide, the risk and protective factors associated with suicide, the warning signs of suicide, seeking help and overcoming barriers to seeking help, and school and community suicide prevention resources. By educating students about seeking help and the resources available to them, the intervention aims to empower students to get help for themselves or others.
Teachers implement the curriculum for 1 hour a day over a 3-day period. Each session includes classroom lecture, individual and group activities, and small-group discussions, followed by activities and homework outside of school. The intervention incorporates technology-based activities that resonate with youth, such as a simulated blog, an email and instant messaging activity, and innovative awareness-raising projects. Implementation of LEADS is intended to occur as part of a school suicide crisis management plan. The intervention can be implemented by teachers with different teaching styles.