SPES PROGRAM

Preventing and addressing suicidality in adolescence

SPES Program is a multidisciplinary, integrated research and intervention programme designed to tackle adolescent suicide prevention on multiple levels. Its aim is to promote the wellbeing and empowerment of young people by working directly with adolescents and, indirectly, with the wider community around them (teachers, healthcare professionals, sports coaches, educators and parents). In its first year, SPES Program trained 930 people, including teachers and mental health professionals.

A core component of the programme is Social and Community Theatre, a methodology developed by SCT Centre and the University of Turin. It uses theatre practice as a tool for training, personal empowerment, strengthening interpersonal relationships and promoting health and wellbeing.

SPES Program is led by the Department of Public Health and Paediatric Sciences, University of Turin, in collaboration with Social Community Theatre Centre, and is a registered trademark of the University of Turin.

The SPES Program Scientific Committee includes Prof. Benedetto Vitiello (University of Turin), Prof. Alessandro Pontremoli (University of Turin), Prof. Emanuela Calandri (University of Turin), Dr Chiara Davico (University of Turin) and Dr Alessandra Rossi Ghiglione (SCT Centre).

With the support of Fondazione Compagnia di San Paolo, through the Salute Effetto Comune call, SPES Program is active across Val di Susa, Val Sangone and the Pinerolese area (ASL TO3) via the SPES4Teen project.

The programme has trained psychologists, psychotherapists, doctors, theatre practitioners and educators as certified SPES trainers through a dedicated 50-hour training course. They work within the SPES Program activities under scientific supervision.

The Context

In recent years, mental health issues among adolescents have increased significantly. This trend had already begun before the COVID-19 pandemic and became more pronounced during and after the pandemic, both in Italy and internationally.

Research and data show a significant rise in the number of adolescents needing clinical support and complex health interventions. In particular, there has been an increase in eating disorders, depression and suicide attempts among young people.

The seriousness of this data is even clearer when considering that suicide is currently the second leading cause of death among adolescents in Italy. This calls for prevention strategies on several levels, involving not only clinicians but society as a whole.

Targeted responses are essential, in line with the recommendations of international organisations such as the WHO. These include strengthening adolescents’ social and emotional skills, identifying and supporting those at suicide risk as early as possible, and promoting multi-sector collaboration to raise awareness and reduce stigma.

The story of SPES Program

SPES Program began with SPES, a Public Engagement project of the University of Turin launched in 2021 and led by the Department of Public Health and Paediatric Sciences.

The project was developed in collaboration with several university departments and partners, including the Departments of Humanities, Psychology, Philosophy and Education Sciences, Neurosciences, Social Community Theatre Centre, the Italian Society of Child and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry – Piedmont and Valle d’Aosta section, the Regional School Office, schools and healthcare institutions in Turin, Spazio BAC, Teatro Popolare Europeo ETS, Cultural Welfare Center and Associazione Cultura e Sviluppo of Alessandria.

The project involved 200 lower and upper secondary school teachers in a training programme on the early identification of young people at risk of suicidal behaviour, through the use of Social and Community Theatre.

Within the SPES project, two intervention protocols for teachers were developed: a theatre performance, SPES Event, and a training workshop, SPES Workshop. These interventions were assessed by the University of Turin team in terms of feasibility, scalability and effectiveness, leading to a scientific paper currently under publication.

Projects developed

SPES – Public Engagement Call, University of Turin
SPES4Teen – Salute Effetto Comune, Compagnia di San Paolo
SPES Research – Culture and Health, Compagnia di San Paolo
SPES – Progetto Giovani, Fondazione CRC

Partnerships

SPES Program is also a partner of:

REGENERATION, led by Amafactory, City of Turin
HAPPY, led by Panta Rei Sardegna, Fondazione con i Bambini
WE CAN, led by Fondazione di Comunità del Canavese, Regione Piemonte

SPES Program has also been activated in local areas through direct requests, including by ASL CN2 with the support of Rotary Club.

SPES Program has been included in the Health Promoting Schools programme of the Regional Prevention Plan of the Piedmont Region for the ASL TO3 area.

Social and Community Theatre

Performing arts play a key role in the prevention, promotion and treatment of mental health, offering a powerful transformative impact on emotions and knowledge.

In particular, Social and Community Theatre, developed by SCT Centre and the University of Turin in the early 2000s, is a powerful creative tool for training, individual empowerment, improving interpersonal relationships and promoting health.

The shared live experience of watching a theatre performance on issues that deeply affect communities has been shown to be effective not only in terms of learning information, but also in sharing and processing emotions. It supports destigmatisation and helps build a shared and participatory social dialogue.

Active participation in creative processes using theatre practice and role playing promotes a deeper understanding of people, situations and contexts. It supports sharing and the building of groups and networks, and above all has an impact on behaviour by training relational, action and communication skills (Rossi Ghiglione, 2015).

Bibliography

Bernardi C., Innocenti Malini G. (2023), Performing the social. Education, Care and Social Inclusion through Theatre, Franco Angeli, Milano.

Fancourt D., S. Finn (2019), What are the evidence in the Role of the Arts in Improving Health and Wellbeing? A Scoping Review, OMS, trad. italiana scaricabile.

Pontremoli A. (2015), Elementi di teatro sociale, educativo e di comunità, Utet, Torino.

Rossi Ghiglione A (2019), Arte, benessere e cura. La potenza del teatro, “Pnei Review”, 2015, 2, pp. 38-47; anche in Bino, Innocenti Malini, Peja (2019), Lo scandalo del corpo, Vita e Pensiero, pp.251-261.

Rossi Ghiglione A. (2023), Theatre and health: origines, scopes, perspecitives, "Economia della cultura", Società editrice il Mulino, issue Speciale, pages 105-116.

Rossi Ghiglione A., Tortone C. (a cura di (2020) I teatri di Igea: una pratica trasformativa per promuovere il benessere delle persone e delle comunità, “La Salute Umana” Dossier, 278, aprile-giugno, pp. 21-48.

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