Two Panel Delphi Study on Adolescent Suicide Protective Factors in Korea

The present study aimed to seek consensus on protective factors for adolescent suicide within a biopsychosocial model. Three rounds of Delphi surveys were conducted to integrate insights from counselors treating suicidal adolescents and the perspectives of the adolescents. The panelists comprised 63 experts and 37 adolescents. From a pool of congregated potential factors from literature review and expert interviews, consensus was reached for 67 items within the expert panel, 20 items within the adolescent panel. A total of 13 items between the two panels were endorsed despite the additional items introduced by the panels per round. The results prioritized the importance of positivity, existential, coping, family, and peer factors, as both panels consented to them. The endorsed factors, along with discrepancies between the two panels, could enhance suicide prevention in South Korea, as they were validated by a rigorous research process that included a consensus among the key stakeholders, suicidal adolescents, and their counselors.