The Impact of a Harry Potter-Based Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy Skills Curriculum on Suicidality and Well-being in Middle Schoolers: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Suicide prevention in youth, for whom suicide is the second leading cause of death, is a public health imperative. Bolstering coping strategies through universal school-based interventions offers potential primary prevention of risk of self-harm and suicide in youth. While numerous suicide prevention interventions have been developed and implemented, effectiveness research remains scant, and the interventions are generally costly to implement, limiting “real-world” application. The primary focus on imparting knowledge about suicide can be counterproductive, whereas stories of resilience and coping may impart protection (termed the Papageno effect) and mitigate the risks of focusing on suicide. Our group previously published data regarding a unique resiliency curriculum imparting cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) skills to youth through the 3rd book in the Harry Potter series. During the curriculum, youth learn to cope with distress alongside the protagonist and to recognize that the novel is an allegory for the author’s own coping efforts to overcome depression. This prospective, pre–post, single arm intervention cohort feasibility study is the first to rigorously evaluate for effects on suicidality, anxiety, depression, and well-being in middle school-aged youth.