Feasibility of a School-Based Suicide Prevention Gatekeeper Intervention and an Implementation Intervention (Project...

Area of Science:

• Adolescent mental health
• Public health interventions
• Educational psychology

Background:

• Youth suicide presents a significant public health challenge, with a notable gap in school-based interventions for high-risk individuals.
• Project ROS aims to address this by training teaching staff in specialized schools (FGU) in Denmark on the Question, Persuade, Refer (QPR) suicide prevention gatekeeper intervention.
• The project integrates QPR with an implementation intervention designed to support its effective delivery.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the feasibility of implementing a school-based QPR gatekeeper training program.
• To assess the effectiveness of an accompanying implementation intervention based on established strategies.
• To determine the potential for wider adoption of QPR in educational settings for youth suicide prevention.

Main Methods:

• A two-phase case study employing a feasibility hybrid evaluation design.
• Utilizing a multimethod approach including pre-, post-, and follow-up surveys.
• Incorporating field observations and semi-structured interviews (single and focus groups) for comprehensive data collection.

Main Results:

• The study is designed to gather data on the feasibility and potential effectiveness of the intervention.
• Methodological triangulation, using multiple data sources, will be employed to enhance the validity of findings.
• Analysis will focus on the practical aspects of delivering QPR and its implementation support in the school context.

Conclusions:

• A multimethod research design enhances the robustness and validity of the study's findings.
• Methodological triangulation is crucial for mitigating bias and addressing limitations inherent in single-method approaches.
• The study aims to provide valuable insights into the practical implementation of school-based suicide prevention gatekeeper training.