San Dieguito Union High School District

What are Protective Factors? A protective factor is a characteristic or attribute that reduces the likelihood of attempting or completing suicide. Protective factors are skills, strengths, or resources that can be learned and that help people deal more effectively with stressful events and help to counterbalance risk factors.

PERSONAL PROTECTIVE FACTORS

• Attitudes, values, and norms prohibiting suicide, e.g., strong beliefs about the meaning and value of life
• Social skills, e.g., decision-making, problem-solving, and anger management
• Good health and access to mental and physical health care
• Strong connections to friends and family as well as supportive significant others
• Cultural, religious or spiritual beliefs that discourage suicide
• A healthy fear of risky behaviors and pain
• Hope for the future—optimism
• Sobriety
• Medical compliance and a sense of the importance of health and wellness
• Impulse control
• Strong sense of self-worth or self-esteem
• Sense of personal control or determination
• Access to a variety of clinical interventions and support for seeking help
• Coping skills
• Resiliency
• Reasons for living
• Being married or a parent

EXTERNAL OR ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTIVE FACTORS

• Strong relationships, particularly with family members
• Opportunities to participate in and contribute to school or community projects and activities
• A reasonably safe and stable environment
• Restricted access to lethal means
• Responsibilities and duties to others
• Pets

Increasing protective factors can serve to decrease suicide risk. Strengthening these factors should be an ongoing process to increase resilience during the presence of increased risk factors or other stressful situations. 

We are all responsible for providing an appropriate and timely response in preventing suicidal thoughts, attempts, and deaths. Recognizing this duty, the district has developed a Suicide Prevention Policy that all schools follow to protect the health and safety of its students in the school setting to ensure adequate supports for students, staff, and families affected by suicide attempts and loss. This policy is based on research and best practices in suicide prevention. It has been adopted with the understanding that suicide prevention activities increase help-seeking behavior, decrease suicide risks, identify those at risk of suicide, and decrease suicidal behaviors. Evidence refutes a common belief that talking about suicide can increase risk or place the idea in someone's mind. 

SuicideisPreventable.org    Know the Signs - risk factors and warning signs

• Behavioral Health Emergency Contact Police/Psychiatric Emergency Response Team (PERT) - Call 9-1-1
• Child Protective Services 858-560-2191/800-344-6000
• Emergency Screening Unit (ESU) 619-421-6900

Overall Strategic Plan for Suicide Prevention

To ensure the policies regarding suicide prevention are properly adopted, implemented, and updated, the Director of School and Student Services will serve as the suicide prevention point of contact for the District. In addition, each school shall identify at least one staff member to serve as the liaison to the Director responsible for coordinating and implementing suicide prevention activities on their specific campus. Board Policy 5141.52