“Help-Seek” Psychological First Aid: A Preventive Program for Suicidal Ideation and Promoting Help-Seeking Attitudes Among Students Experiencing Psychological Distress

Abstract

Adolescents are prone to psychological distress, placing them at heightened risk for suicidal ideation; however, many remain hesitant to seek professional help due to stigma, limited mental health literacy, and insufficient school-based support services, reflecting persistent gaps in early intervention and access to care in resource-limited settings. This study examined the HELP-SEEK Psychological First Aid (PFA) as a preventive program in reducing psychological distress, suicidal ideation, and improving help-seeking attitudes among students. The HELP-SEEK PFA was developed and follows 4 preventive approach: Recognize, Respond, Reinforce, and Refer. A quasi-experimental one-group pretest–posttest design was conducted among 70 students aged 18–24 from selected resource-limited education institutions in the Philippines, referred by the school’s designated counselors due to identified distress. Standardized measures (K10, SIDAS-M, ATSPPH-SF) and paired t-tests revealed statistically significant reductions in psychological distress and suicidal ideation, and a significant increase in help-seeking attitudes (p < .01). Post-intervention results revealed respondents’ improvement from moderate to mild psychological distress, cessation of high-risk classification for suicidal ideation, and positive attitudes toward seeking professional help. Findings suggest that HELP-SEEK PFA, as a preventive program, is associated with improved psychological outcomes and strengthened help-seeking attitudes. However, although overall risk levels decreased across all respondents, some still reported mild distress, indicating the need for continued monitoring and follow-up support. Findings recommend that this study may serve as reference data to guide educators, mental health practitioners, future researchers, and policymakers in enhancing, developing, implementing, and further refining the program to support student well-being.