Suicide first aid guidelines for Indonesia: a Delphi consensus study

Abstract

Background The concept that “suicide is preventable” is fairly recent in Indonesia. Suicide prevention training is also new for community leaders and laypeople. On the other side, in a collectivistic society like Indonesia, community leaders, neighbours, and friends are essential parts of someone’s life. Therefore, guidelines to assist first aiders in preventing suicide is urgently needed. Aim This study aimed to develop guidelines to recognise key warning signs and provide first aid support to Indonesians at potential immediate risk for suicide. Methods The guidelines was developed through three steps: (i) systematic literature review; (ii) focus group discussions and interviews; and (iii) expert consensus using the Delphi approach. These steps were taken to ensure that the final guidelines reflected the cultural beliefs and norms of the Indonesian context. Results Three rounds of Delphi resulted in 460 accepted items out of 539 items generated from the literature search and group and individual interviews. Some key differences with other countries where similar studies were carried out were highlighted. Conclusions This study emphasised the need for gatekeeper training as the ideal way of educating community members on the guidelines.