Abstract
Background and Objective: Wesley Mission LifeForce training is an Australian suicide prevention gatekeeper program which has not been formally evaluated. The aims of this evaluation were to (1) determine the short- and medium- term impacts of the training on worker capabilities (perceived and declarative knowledge), attitudes, and reluctance to intervene measures; and (2) compare the impact of the half and full day workshops on these measures.Method: 1,079 Australian community workers of diverse professional backgrounds completed a pre-workshop questionnaire as part of registration for the Wesley LifeForce suicide prevention training between 2017 and 2019. Of these, 299 participants also completed the post workshop questionnaires (matched sample). They attended either half day (n = 97) or full day workshops (n = 202) and completed also a 3- and 6- month follow-up questionnaire. We used linear mixed-effect modeling for repeated measures to analyze data.Results: LifeForce training participants experienced an increase in perceived capability, declarative knowledge, more positive attitudes and reduced reluctance to intervene, at least in the short term. The program is particularly well targeted for community gatekeepers with no prior training, albeit those with prior training in this study also experienced positive and significant gains on most measured constructs.Conclusions: We found evidence of effectiveness of the Wesley LifeForce training over time, without difference between the short (half day) and longer (full day) formats of delivery. Nevertheless, the latter format offers skills-based and skills rehearsal opportunities, the impacts of which we were unable to measure in this evaluation and should be estimated in the future.
Highlights
There are several definitions of gatekeeper (GK), a concept that has evolved over time from being “a person to whom troubled people are turning for help” (1, p. 39) to those in a position to recognize a crisis and the warning signs that someone may be contemplating suicide [1], or a community member who has some face to face contact with numerous community members as part of their standard role [2]
There is some evidence for gatekeeper training (GKT) as a promising suicide prevention initiative [4], For example, GKT has been found to increase perceived knowledge and declarative knowledge about suicide [5,6,7]; enhance self-efficacy for intervening [8, 9]; reduce reluctance to intervene [10, 11]; reduce stigma associated with suicide [12] and improve attitudes toward suicide/suicide prevention [13]
The current study presents Phase 2 findings of the Wesley LifeForce Suicide Prevention Training Evaluation
Summary
There are several definitions of gatekeeper (GK), a concept that has evolved over time from being “a person to whom troubled people are turning for help” (1, p. 39) to those in a position to recognize a crisis and the warning signs that someone may be contemplating suicide [1], or a community member who has some face to face contact with numerous community members as part of their standard role (and who may be trained to identify at risk persons and refer them to appropriate support services) [2]. There is some evidence for gatekeeper training (GKT) as a promising suicide prevention initiative [4], For example, GKT has been found to increase perceived knowledge and declarative knowledge about suicide [5,6,7]; enhance self-efficacy for intervening [8, 9]; reduce reluctance to intervene [10, 11]; reduce stigma associated with suicide [12] and improve attitudes toward suicide/suicide prevention [13]. Wesley Mission LifeForce training is an Australian suicide prevention gatekeeper program which has not been formally evaluated. The aims of this evaluation were to [1] determine the short- and medium- term impacts of the training on worker capabilities (perceived and declarative knowledge), attitudes, and reluctance to intervene measures; and [2] compare the impact of the half and full day workshops on these measures
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