Implementing an audience-specific small-group gatekeeper training program to respond to suicide risk among college...

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Public Health
• Education

Background:

• Gatekeeper training is crucial for suicide prevention in university settings.
• Tailoring training to specific audiences (faculty, staff, students) may enhance effectiveness.
• Understanding the long-term impact of single-session training is important for sustained prevention efforts.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of a single-session, small-group, audience-specific gatekeeper training program.
• To assess changes in knowledge and comfort in intervening with students in distress.
• To examine the durability of training effects at a 3-month follow-up.

Main Methods:

• A case study design was employed at a large northeastern public university.
• 335 faculty, staff, and students participated in tailored gatekeeper training sessions.
• Pre- and post-training assessments, including a 3-month follow-up, measured knowledge and comfort levels.

Main Results:

• Statistically significant increases in knowledge and comfort were observed immediately post-training for all participant groups.
• A notable degradation of training effects was evident at the 3-month follow-up assessment.
• Audience-specific training demonstrated benefits in immediate knowledge and comfort acquisition.

Conclusions:

• Audience-specific gatekeeper training programs offer distinct advantages for university communities.
• Booster training sessions are recommended to counteract the natural degradation of skills and knowledge over time.
• Sustained suicide prevention efforts require ongoing reinforcement of gatekeeper competencies.