Yellow Ribbon Program Evaluation – Palliser Regional Suicide Prevention Council
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Lois Bourassa, Canadian Mental Health Association
Purpose:
The project team set out to assess the effectiveness of the Yellow Ribbon intervention program, as applied by the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) to regional high school and junior high schools within the Palliser Health Region (Medicine Hat, Alberta and area).
Method:
The study team administered a pre-intervention questionnaire in the fall of 2005, followed by a post-intervention questionnaire, administered to students several months following school presentations by the CMHA.
Results:
The intervention produced a detectable, positive shift in students’ indication that they would seek help. Following the intervention program, the number of students indicating they would now seek assistance increased by nearly 6% over those who indicated they would not seek help. There was also a detectable shift in the priority of seeking more professional help over assistance primarily from family or friends. Particularly notable shifts occurred in junior high students’ responses toward potentially referring to the help line (+6%), while senior high students showed the most positive shift toward school (+4%), community and mental health sources.