Implementing LEARN: Comprehensive Suicide Prevention Training for High School Students, Parents, and School Personnel

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Adolescent Psychology
• Educational Interventions

Background:

• Adolescent suicide presents a significant public health challenge.
• Schools offer a prime environment for implementing suicide prevention strategies.
• The LEARN program is a peer-led gatekeeper training designed for high school communities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the efficacy of the LEARN gatekeeper training program.
• To evaluate the impact of the training on participants' ability to intervene in potential suicide situations.

Main Methods:

• A total of 4983 participants (high school personnel, parents, and students) completed pre- and post-training surveys.
• Paired t tests were utilized to analyze changes in survey responses.

Main Results:

• Participants demonstrated a higher likelihood of performing key gatekeeper actions: recognizing warning signs, active listening, directly asking about suicidal ideation, mitigating immediate danger, and facilitating connections to professional help.
• The majority of participants expressed high satisfaction with the content delivery by peer trainers.

Conclusions:

• The LEARN gatekeeper training was successfully implemented across diverse high school populations.
• Participants across all groups reported enhanced confidence in approaching and supporting individuals at risk of suicide.
• The peer-led training model was well-received, with participants rating trainers as effective and expressing overall satisfaction.