Exploring adolescents’ perspectives  on and experiences with post-primary  school-based suicide prevention:  a meta-ethnography protocol

Background Globally, suicide is the fourth leading cause of adolescent mortality. Although post-primary school-based suicide prevention (PSSP) interventions are an evidence-based strategy for targeting adolescent suicidal  thoughts and behaviors (STBs), PSSP efectiveness does not easily translate to school settings. Adolescents’ perspectives on PSSP are particularly important for (1) intervention efectiveness and implementation in both research and  practice, (2) addressing PSSP evidence-practice gaps, and (3) enhancing meaningful adolescent involvement in PSSP,  yet there is a gap in understanding adolescents’ experiences of engaging with PSSP. As such, this protocol outlines a  meta-ethnography which will explore and synthesize adolescents’ perspectives on engaging with PSSP interventions,  as participants/end-users, intervention advisors, facilitators, and co-designers and co-researchers. Methods The meta-ethnography protocol follows the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Protocols (PRISMA-P) guidelines. The protocol was guided by the seven-stage process for meta-ethnography  proposed by Noblit and Hare. Searches of PsycINFO, MEDLINE, Web of Science, CINAHL, ERIC, Scopus, and study reference lists will identify peer-reviewed studies. Gray literature will be identifed by searches in ProQuest, British Library  EThOS, and DART-Europe E-theses Portal. The main reviewer will initially assess the eligibility of studies based on title  and abstract, with full texts reviewed by at least two reviewers. Findings of the included studies will be synthesized in  line with Noblit and Hare’s stages and evaluated using the Critical Appraisal Skills Program (CASP) checklist. Discussion To our knowledge, this is the frst proposed meta-ethnography to explore and integrate the fndings of  qualitative studies exploring adolescents’ perspectives on engaging with PSSP interventions. Understanding adolescents’ experiences of engaging with PSSP will impact the feld of PSSP in several ways by (1) enhancing research processes and intervention efectiveness and implementation, (2) informing decision-making and policymaking relevant  to practice, (3) guiding meaningful adolescent involvement in PSSP, and (4) contributing to knowledge on the safety  implications of engaging adolescents in PSSP. Finally, it is expected that the insights from this meta-ethnography will  be widely applicable, given the growing demand for meaningful youth involvement in health-related fields