Music Therapists' Training and Education on Suicide Prevention in the United States

Suicide is a significant public health concern and a leading cause of death for individuals across the lifespan. This study explored (a) what settings music therapists are working in to support individuals navigating suicidality; (b) their training and education on suicide prevention; and (c) how prepared, knowledgeable, and comfortable they feel implementing suicide-related care. Using a convergent mixed methods design, 458 credentialed music therapists working in the United States completed a survey, 19 of whom worked with people navigating suicidality and completed a qualitative interview. Survey results found 81.7% of the sample reported providing suicide-related care to therapy participants in almost all clinical settings. Most did not receive suicide prevention education in their degree program at the bachelor's (74.4%) or master's (59.6%) levels. Qualitative themes, identified via thematic analysis, on the topic of education and training highlighted minimal, missing, or inadequate training; training that occurred through workplaces, independent research, or professional development; and learning by witnessing, dialoguing, and personal experiences. Themes on areas of strength and confidence from training included conducting informal risk assessments and holding the weight of suicidal thoughts and related emotions in a nonjudgmental way. More training was desired for verbal skills (e.g., acute crisis, de-escalation, verbal processing), setting- and community-specific trainings, music therapy methods, and holistic, systemic, and contextual supports of suicide. Results highlight how critical it is for undergraduate and graduate music therapy degree programs to integrate suicide prevention education and training into their curricula to better and more ethically prepare students for clinical realities.