Implementing an Audience-Specific Small-Group Gatekeeper Training Program to Respond to Suicide Risk Among College Students: A Case Study

Abstract

There are benefits associated with the implementation of audience-specific gatekeeper training programs. Booster training sessions to address skill degradation over time are recommended.

A brief peer gatekeeper suicide prevention training: Results of an open pilot trial

“…Therefore, including ample training time and practice around how to talk with suicidal peers, offering clear details on how and where to make referrals within each unique university system, and addressing obstacles to referrals (e.g., belief in suicide myths, inaccurate beliefs about treatment, concern about betraying trust) in gatekeeper training programs may help improve outcomes. Moreover, given the decay in suicide knowledge found over the course of 3 months in the present study, which is consistent with prior research (Cimini et al., ; Tompkins & Witt, ), booster trainings may help further bolster training effects.…”

“…Cross and colleagues () found a significant increase in declarative knowledge, perceived knowledge, and the ability to make an adequate referral (demonstrated via role plays) (10%–54%) from pre‐training to post‐training among trainees across five U.S. universities. Cimini and colleagues () found an increase in declarative knowledge and comfort in talking about suicide from pre‐training to post‐training. Declarative knowledge, but not comfort talking about suicide, declined by 3‐month follow‐up.…”

Toward the Next Generation of Bystander Prevention of Sexual and Relationship Violence

“…Bystander messages in social marketing campaigns are more effective if people see the images as similar to them . Bystander intervention is a framework that has been applied to many different community problems including drunk driving, suicidality, and violence prevention though not necessarily in the same location (Cimini et al 2014;Guerette et al 2013;Polanin et al 2012). It is interesting to consider what might happen if bystander training and the use of this framework was employed to address a number of issues within a community.…”

Resident assistant training design : a narrative analysis

“…Many Resident Assistants will never have to face a suicide or severe mental health concern in working with residential students; but, as "students across the nation are coming to colleges and universities with increasingly complex mental health issues, including histories of psychological and psychiatric conditions that may be associated with elevated risk for suicide" (Cimini, Rivero, Bernier, Stanley, Murray, Anderson, Wright & Bapat, 2014, p. 92), training for these potential crises must not be slighted. With suicide as the third most prevalent cause of death for traditional college-aged students, QPR (Question, Persuade, Refer) training is well recognized as an effective gatekeeper training program for individuals like Resident Assistants, particularly when including an experiential exercise component (Cimini et al, 2014). Mental health gatekeeper training that has the following characteristics is recommended:…”

“…to increase knowledge retention and comfort in implementing skills and knowledge learned (Cimini et al, 2014). Corroborating this need is the rise in non-suicidal self-injury (known as NSSI) in the college population" (Whitlock, Eells, Cummings & Purington, 2009, p. 173).…”