Effectiveness of the Gatekeeper-Based Suicide Prevention Training Package in Improving the Attitude and Enhancing the Knowledge About Suicide Prevention in Iran Army Commanders

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Background: In military organizations and units, commanders, as the most influential people on the military conditions of duty-staff personnel, have a significant impact on the mental and physical health of their forces. Therefore, primary mental health training and improving their ability to deal with risky behaviors can guarantee the health of the military forces under their command. Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the impact of the gatekeeper training program in improving the attitude and enhancing the knowledge about suicide prevention among Iranian army commanders. Methods: This practical research was structured using a quasi-experimental method with the 31-question scale of the attitude toward suicide (ATTS) questionnaire as a pretest and posttest. A sample of 40 commanders in Tehran’s military barracks was appointed by purposeful sampling (20 in the experimental group and 20 in the control group). The experimental group received a gatekeeper-based suicide prevention training package, while the control group received no training. The data obtained from the questionnaires were analyzed using the Mann-Whitney U test in SPSS software. Results: The present study indicated a considerable impact on knowledge and attitude about suicide in IR army commanders. Furthermore, the difference between the experimental and control groups in suicide prevention knowledge and its fundamental structures was significant, and in the entire population, it was greater than 0.1. Conclusions: The findings indicated that the gatekeeper training package significantly improved attitudes toward suicide and enhanced knowledge about it. Thus, the gatekeeper training package can be used in other active training methods to educate commanders to prevent suicide.