Suicide remains the leading cause of death among Australians aged 15–24 years, with significant impacts extending to families, schools, and communities. Schools are uniquely positioned to contribute to suicide prevention and response, given their ability to engage young people across diverse backgrounds, provide sustained contact with trusted adults, and reduce barriers associated with cost, access, or stigma in mental health care. However, despite widespread implementation of school-based programs, evidence regarding their effectiveness remains inconsistent.
This umbrella review synthesised findings from 18 systematic, scoping, and meta-analytic reviews published between 2011 and 2025, examining interventions delivered in primary and secondary schools worldwide, including several with Australian settings. Intervention types included curriculum-integrated programs, awareness and literacy initiatives, screening and assessment programs, gatekeeper training, peer leadership models, postvention responses, and adapted psychotherapeutic supports.
Across reviews, interventions were associated with improvements in mental health literacy, reductions in stigma, and enhanced help-seeking behaviours among students. Some evidence suggested short-term reductions in suicidal ideation and attempts. Reviews highlighted variability in program effectiveness across settings, and the need for interventions to be tailored to context, culture, and available resources.
Lived experience voices are central to shaping safe and meaningful prevention responses. Several included reviews underscored the importance of co-designing interventions with young people, families, and those with lived experience to ensure cultural safety, reduce stigma, and strengthen uptake in school communities.
This review highlights schools as a critical platform for suicide prevention in Australia and globally. To move forward, investment in co-designed, evidence-informed, and context-sensitive programs is essential. Embedding the voices of young people and those with lived experience into policy, practice, and evaluation will be vital to building interventions that are trusted, sustainable, and equitable.