Variations among Career Fields in Virtual Reality Suicide Crisis Training Effects among U.S. Air Force Personnel

Suicide, a leading cause of death in the United States (U.S.), represents a substantial public and economic burden. Notably, suicide rates have risen over most of the past fifteen years, including among U.S. military personnel. Peer support may represent one example of a proven avenue towards suicide prevention. This study investigates the association between career fields and virtual reality (VR) training in peer support as a potential avenue to mitigate suicide risk within a military context. Data were collected from the Fairchild Air Force Base (N= 249) and analyses compared training outcomes between career fields. Analyses also evaluated skills competency among participants with prior in-person training, assessing their ability to conduct effective interventions using the ACE (Ask, Care, Escort) model and to communicate lethal means safety effectively. Overall, Airmen were generally effective in protecting at-risk peers and retained knowledge from prior suicide prevention trainings. Effective communication of lethal means safety was lowest in career fields with the highest suicide risk. Findings suggest that VR may be a promising tool for suicide prevention training, and that some career fields may require particular focus.