Development, piloting, and dissemination of a suicide prevention brief online course for non-health professionals

Abstract

Introduction: The use of online gatekeeper training resources facilitates the dissemination of useful knowledge and skills for suicide prevention with an integrated care perspective and a focus in the community, especially in a context of a pandemic and of limited human and economic resources. 
 Aim: To develop and evaluate the impact of a short online gatekeeper training course in Spanish for non-health professionals in the community. To disseminate the course among this group of professionals as a free and easy to access online resource. 
 Methods: An expert panel developed the training after the review of the evidence and available programs. Evaluation was carried out in two phases (Pilot 1&2). In the 2nd pilot a greater variety of professional fields was included and the evaluation questionnaire was shortened. In both cases, a single group design of repeated measures (before, immediate post and 3 months post) was used as well as a one-factor analysis of variance with repeated measures. Participants responded to an ad-hoc online questionnaire which evaluated satisfaction, knowledge, self-confidence (pilot 1&2), and attitudes (pilot 2). We consecutively recruited all interested professionals in the community who responded to an invitation email sent by the public health coordinators in the counties. A dissemination plan in 4 stages has been developed in coordination with Public Health coordinators. 
 Results: Sample for the pilot was made up of 272 (53+219) professionals. Improvements in self-confidence, knowledge about suicide and attitudes were found, with statistically significant differences. Overall satisfaction with the training was 8.5 out of a maximum of 10. The dissemination phase is now starting. The aim is to reach as many professionals working with vulnerable groups as possible. Results of this phase will be available by May 2023. 
 Conclusions: Results of the evaluation pilot are promising and suggest the usefulness of this training to improve professionals' self-confidence and knowledge about suicide prevention. The challenge is to make this training available to the greatest possible number of community professionals.