Educational Preferences and Outcomes From Suicide Prevention Training in the Veterans Health Administration: One-Year Follow-Up With Healthcare Employees in Upstate New York

Abstract

This study identifies training outcomes and educational preferences of employees who work within the Veterans Health Administration (VHA). Using a longitudinal pre-postsurvey design, 71 employees from one geographic region of VHA healthcare facilities participated in an evaluation of a brief standardized gatekeeper program and a needs assessment on training preferences for suicide and suicide prevention. Results indicate significant differences in knowledge and self-efficacy from pre to post (p < 0.001), although only self-efficacy remained significant at 1 year follow-up, (M = 3.01; SD = 0.87) as compared to pretraining (M = 2.50, SD = 1.05) (t = −5.64, p < 0.001). At post-training, 90% of the participants were willing to learn more about suicide, with 88% willing to spend more than 1 hour in future training activities on more advanced topics. This training program can increase the knowledge and abilities of VHA staff to engage, identify, and refer veterans at risk for suicide to appropriate care.

Personal and Professional Knowledge of and Experience With Suicide and Suicide Prevention Among Stakeholders in Clinical and Community Practice

“…Findings reveal that this population tends to have a high degree of experience with suicide, both personally and professionally. Compared to previous literature, Matthieu et al (2009) found that 94.3% ( n = 71) of VA employees had contact with suicidal individuals, which is consistent with the sample in the current study. This finding may be due to the way in which the current sample was selected, targeting community and clinical providers, particularly those within the VA who worked specifically in mental health or who were suicide prevention coordinators.…”

“…Four of the five sections of the suicide and suicide prevention self-report survey instrument have been utilized in previous research (Matthieu et al, 2008, 2009). These sections include: (1) Organizational assessment, (2) Provider demographics, (3) Individual-level factors, (4) Exposure to suicide, and (5) Awareness of suicide prevention resources.…”

“…A specific policy mandate of assessing suicide risk in mental health and non-mental health settings is mentioned in this report, as well as in the recent release of the National Strategy for Suicide Prevention (NSSP) (HHS, 2012). The providers working in these settings are the “front lines” of services provided to veterans and military families, and as such they serve a role as “gatekeepers” for at-risk veterans (Matthieu, Cross, Batres, Flora & Knox, 2008; Matthieu, Chen, Schohn, Lantinga, & Knox, 2009). Their perspectives are critically important in understanding how to tailor interventions aimed at increasing rates of referral for necessary, life-saving, crisis intervention services.…”

Gatekeeper training outcomes: enhancing the capacity of staff in substance abuse treatment programs to prevent suicide in a high risk population

“…The survey packet used in previous gatekeeper studies (Matthieu, Cross, Batres, Flora, & Knox, 2008;Matthieu et al, 2009) contained five sections:…”

“…This particular QPR program, with the addition of a research tested behavioral rehearsal component, has been studied extensively with positive findings for increased knowledge and self efficacy among adults working in an academic medical center department of psychiatry, VA health care facilities, and on college campuses (Cross, Matthieu, Cerel, & Knox, 2007;Cross, Matthieu, Lezine, & Knox, 2010;Matthieu, Chen, Schohn, Lantinga, & Knox, 2009). The unique feature of this particular gatekeeper training program are these studies supporting the use of the behavioral rehearsal in both individual and groups settings.…”