Dr Sam Mckay1, Christina Ng, Dr Greg Armstrong, Dr Jen Nicholas, Dr Jo Robinson, Michelle Lamblin, Dr Ellie Brown, Vivienne Browne, Gina Chinnery, Dr Isabelle Choi, Bailey Nation-Ingle, Dr Jocelyn Meza
1Orygen & The University Of Melbourne, , Australia
Background: International students experience high rates of mental health issues and are a priority group for suicide prevention. However, there are currently no evidence-based suicide prevention programs that are specifically designed or adapted to meet the unique needs of international students. Co-creation, where those with lived experience of an issue collaborate with researchers to develop new programs, is recommended to address gaps in prevention strategies. This method is argued to empower participants while improving program outcomes. However, little research has explored international students’ experiences of co-creation, particularly in relation to suicide prevention.
The current project aims to evaluate international students’ perspectives on the feasibility, acceptability, and benefits of their involvement in co-creating a new suicide prevention program for their peers.
Methods: A mixed methods framework is adopted for this study. Seventy international students will participate in co-design workshops and complete pre- and post-workshop questionnaires capturing their experiences with self-harm and suicide, motivations for participation, and workshop experiences. Qualitative interviews with ~10 participants will provide in-depth insights into their experiences.
Results: Descriptive statistics will be used for quantitative data, and qualitative data will be analysed using thematic analysis. Joint display tables will show overlap in data types to identify alignment and differences across findings.
Conclusion: This research will provide a significant contribution to our understanding of the potential for co-creation with international students to support suicide prevention and mental health program development.
Biography:
Dr Sam McKay is a postdoctoral researcher at Orygen, and the Centre for Youth Mental Health, University of Melbourne where he leads the education research stream in the Suicide Prevention research group. Sam’s research interests focus on youth mental health, suicide prevention, and the implementation of mental health programs in education settings. He is currently overseeing several research projects focused on suicide prevention in high schools and tertiary education settings. Sam’s work seeks to enhance our understanding of effective strategies to prevent suicide and improve mental health in young people, and he has a particular interest in international student experiences.