Rail Suicide Prevention - Evaluating the Impact of Online Awareness Training for Workers

Aims: The study aim was to determine whether brief online suicide awareness training could increase rail workers': (1) knowledge about how to intervene safely with someone at risk on the rail; (2) belief that the rail industry could help to reduce suicides on the rail; (3) confidence to intervene with someone at risk on the rail; and (4) likelihood that they would intervene with someone at risk on the rail. Method: 1,050 rail workers completed the training and pre-/postsurveys designed to assess the impact of the training. We calculated the proportional mean change between the pre- and postintervention periods for each outcome. Results: Significant increases were observed across all outcomes. For rail workers' knowledge of how to intervene safely the proportional mean difference was 1.15 (95% CI: 1.14 to 1.16), for belief that rail workers can help to reduce rail suicides it was 1.14 (95% CI: 1.13 to 1.16), for confidence to intervene with someone at risk on the rail it was 1.24 (95% CI: 1.22 to 1.27), and for likelihood of intervention with someone at risk on the rail it was 1.03 (95% CI: 1.02 to 1.05). Limitations: This study relied on a pre-/postdesign without a control group, limiting causal inferences. Conclusion: Brief online suicide prevention awareness training appears to be effective in improving outcomes.