Frequency and preventative interventions for non-suicidal self-injury and suicidal behaviour in primary school-age children: a scoping review protocol

INTRODUCTION: Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) and suicidal behaviour have been witnessed in children as young as 6–7 years of age, but while there are many reviews of preventative interventions for NSSI and suicide in adolescents, few have explored its prevalence in younger children and the potential impact of preventative interventions at this stage of life. NSSI and suicidal behaviour are an increasing concern in schools but school-based programmes can improve knowledge, attitudes and help-seeking behaviours and help prevent escalation of NSSI and later suicide. This scoping review will aim to explore the nature and extent of the evidence on the magnitude of NSSI and suicidal behaviour in primary school children, and to examine whether there are any primary school-based interventions available for the prevention of this phenomenon in 5 to 11-year-olds. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: A scoping review will be conducted using established methodology by Arksey and O’Malley and the Joanna Briggs Institute. Multiple bibliographic and indexing databases and grey literature will be searched using a combination of text words and index terms relating to NSSI, suicide, primary schools, frequency and intervention. Two reviewers will independently screen eligible studies for study selection and extract relevant data from included studies. A narrative summary of evidence will be conducted for all included studies with results presented in tables and/or diagrams. Inductive content analysis will be used to understand any narrative findings within the included studies. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Ethical approval is not required for this scoping review. The results of this review will be disseminated though publication in a peer-reviewed journal and presented at relevant conferences.