Aevidum: The Talk

Aevidum

Program Type

Education or Training Program

Cost

$2,501 or more

Evidence Type

Empirically-Defined Evidence

SPRC Comprehensive Approach

Identify and Assist, Increase Help-Seeking, Life Skills and Resilience, Connectedness

approved What is this?
Program or Intervention Summary

Aevidum empowers students to shatter the silence surrounding mental health and suicide through student-led clubs. The Talk is Aevidum’s universal, school-based suicide prevention and mental health education kickoff workshop for students in grades 7–12. The program increases mental health literacy, reduces stigma surrounding mental illness, strengthens peer gatekeeper behaviors, and empowers students to seek help from trusted adults when they are concerned about themselves or a friend. It emphasizes upstream prevention by fostering caring school cultures where students recognize warning signs, normalize conversations about mental health, and understand that asking for help is a sign of strength. The workshop also equips students and educators with the knowledge and motivation to launch or strengthen student-led Aevidum clubs that sustain prevention efforts throughout the school year.

Each school sends up to 10 students and 2 adults to participate in this high-energy, interactive workshop. The Talk combines evidence-informed instruction, youth-led storytelling, real-world scenarios, guided discussion, and reflection to engage participants and encourage practical application. The workshop is facilitated by trained Aevidum staff alongside experienced Aevidum student leaders. A central message is that students can make a meaningful difference in supporting one another while recognizing they are never expected to manage a crisis alone and should always involve a trusted adult when someone may be at risk.

The Talk is provided at no cost to participating schools, and establishing an Aevidum Club is also free. Hosting a regional workshop for 12 schools (120 students and 24 educators) costs approximately $5,000. Aevidum partners with communities to secure funding so individual schools are not responsible for these costs.

Program evaluation measures participants’ self-reported changes in mental health knowledge, understanding of mental illness, comfort discussing mental health concerns, intentions to seek adult support following a peer’s disclosure of suicidal thoughts, and prevention self-efficacy. By combining education, peer leadership, and early intervention, The Talk strengthens protective factors before a crisis occurs and prepares students to build safer, more connected school communities.

Type Education or Training Program
Setting In-person, PK-12 School
Audience Adolescents 12-17, Women, Men
Languages English
Study Method Quantitative Design
Study Type Correlational or survey
Implementer Requirement Adults, Teens, K-12 school faculty and staff
Training Requirement No
Delivery Options In-Person, Virtual live
Risk and Protective Factors Social isolation, Stigma associated with help-seeking and mental illness, Effective coping and problem-solving skills, Support from partners, friends, and family, Feeling connected to others, Feeling connected to school, community, and other social institutions

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