Gatekeeper Suicide Training's Effectiveness Among Malaysian Hospital Health Professionals: A Control Group Study With a Three-Month Follow-Up. Issue 4 (2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Siau, Ching Sin; Wee, Lei-Hum; Ibrahim, Norhayati; Visvalingam, Uma; Yeap, Lena Lay Ling; Wahab, Suzaily
• Is Part Of: Journal of continuing education in the health professions. Volume 38:Issue 4(2018)
• Publication Date: 2018
• Subjects: gatekeeper training -- continuing health education -- suicide -- health care professional -- hospital; Medicine -- Study and teaching (Continuing education) -- Periodicals; Paramedical education -- Periodicals; Medical education -- Periodicals; 610.7
• DOI: 10.1097/CEH.0000000000000213
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0894-1912

Abstract

Abstract : Introduction: There is a lack of suicide-related training in the nonpsychiatric health professional's basic education. We suggest that a continuing education through a brief gatekeeper suicide training program could be a suitable platform to improve suicide-related knowledge, self-efficacy, and attitudes. This study aimed at examining the effectiveness of the Question, Persuade, Refer gatekeeper program on improving the knowledge, self-efficacy in suicide prevention, and understanding of/willingness to help suicidal patients of Malaysian hospital health professionals. Methods: The Question, Persuade, Refer program materials were translated and adapted for implementation in the hospital setting for nonpsychiatric health professionals. There were 159 (mean age = 35.75 years; SD = 12.26) participants in this study. Most participants were female (84.9%), staff/community nurses (52.2%), who worked in the general medical department (30.2%) and had no experience managing suicidal patients (64.2%). Intervention participants ( n = 53) completed a survey questionnaire at pretraining, immediately after training, and after three months. Control participants ( n = 106) were not exposed to the training program and completed the same questionnaire at baseline and three months later. Results: Significant improvement occurred among intervention participants in terms of perceived knowledge, self-efficacy, and understanding of/willingness to help suicidal patients immediately after training and when compared with the control participants 3 months later. Improvements in declarative knowledge were not maintained at the 3-month follow-up. Discussion: This study confirmed the short-term effectiveness of the gatekeeper training program. Gatekeeper suicide training is recommended for implementation for nonpsychiatric health professionals nationwide. Abstract : Supplemental Digital Content is Available in the Text.