Pharmacist training in suicide prevention

Painter, Nathan A.; Kuo, Grace m.; Collins, Stan P.; Palomino, Yeni L.; Lee, Kelly C.

doi:10.1016/j.japh.2017.12.007

Cited by 31 publications

(33 citation statements)

References 24 publications

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“…Reluctance was assessed using six items associated with reluctance to engage with mental health crises and were based on previous gatekeeper research. [26,32] Reluctance items included suicide and mental health misconceptions "If someone contemplating suicide does not seek assistance, there is nothing I can do to help" and environmental factors like "I am too busy to provide mental health first aid at work." Confidence in performing MHFA skills was assessed using seven items and based on established MHFA self-evaluation questions.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…[21][22][23] Formal evaluations of MHFA and other gatekeeper training programs for pharmacy trainees beyond the initial training are lacking. [24,25] Educational interventions related to mental health crisis intervention during pharmacy school and offered as continuing education for practicing pharmacists and pharmacy technicians may have an impact on improving confidence and knowledge and decreasing stigma, [3,12,24,[26][27][28][29][30][31] but more research is needed on how often trainees use gatekeeper skills in practice and their feelings of competency months and years after their initial training. Research on the longitudinal experience of pharmacy professionals that have been trained as mental health gatekeepers through programs like MHFA may provide evidence of program effectiveness and impact.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Evaluation of participant reluctance, confidence, and self-reported behaviors since being trained in a pharmacy Mental Health First Aid initiative

2020

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In the U.S., an estimated one in five individuals experience a mental illness annually which contribute to significant human and economic cost. Pharmacists serving in a public health capacity are positioned to provide first aid level intervention to people experiencing a mental health crisis. Research on pharmacy professionals (pharmacists, technicians, students) undergoing training in Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) can provide evidence of the potential benefits of such training. The objectives of this study were to 1) describe the reluctance and confidence to intervene in mental health crises of pharmacy professionals previously trained in MHFA, 2) describe their self-reported use of MHFA behaviors since becoming trained, and 3) describe participant open-ended feedback on their MHFA training. Materials and methods: An electronic survey was disseminated in May and June, 2019 using a four-email sequence to pharmacy professionals who had completed MHFA training from one of five pharmacist MHFA trainers throughout 2018. Domains included demographics, six Likerttype reluctance items, seven Likert-type confidence items for performing MHFA skills, and frequency of using a set of nine MHFA skills since being trained. Prompts collected openended feedback related to MHFA experiences and training. Descriptive statistics were used for scaled and multiple-choice items and a basic content analysis was performed on the open-ended items to group them into similar topics. Results: Ninety-eight out of 227 participants responded to the survey yielding a response rate of 44%. Participants reported high levels of disagreement to a set of reluctance items for intervening and overall high levels of confidence in performing a range of MHFA skills. Participant self-reported use of a set of MHFA skills ranged from 19% to 82% since being trained in MHFA. Almost half (44%) of participants had asked someone if they were considering suicide. A majority (61%) also had referred someone to resources because of a mental health crisis. Open-ended responses included positive experiences alongside important challenges to using MHFA in practice and recommendations including additional training focused on the pharmacy setting.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evaluation of participant reluctance, confidence, and self-reported behaviors since being trained in a pharmacy Mental Health First Aid initiative

2020

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“…German pharmacists scored below average on the Morriss Confidence Scale, which measures confidence in detecting suicidal persons 13. Finally, American pharmacists who participated in a suicide prevention training program experienced greater confidence in skills 14…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Pharmacists' attitudes, interest, and perceived skills regarding suicide prevention

Cates¹,

Hodges²,

Woolley³

2019

Mental Health Clinician

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IntroductionPharmacists have been called upon to be involved in suicide prevention efforts, but little is known regarding their attitudes, interest, and perceived skills in the area.MethodsThe study was a voluntary, anonymous survey of pharmacists who attended a large end-of-year continuing education program sponsored by a school of pharmacy. The survey included the Attitudes to Suicide Prevention (ASP) Scale, items concerning interest in suicide prevention, and items from the suicide skills section of the Suicide Knowledge and Skills Questionnaire.ResultsThe survey was completed by 227/297 (76.4%) pharmacists. The percentage of participants who expressed interest in direct involvement, indirect involvement, and receiving training in suicide prevention were 25%, 46%, and 56%, respectively. The mean total score on the ASP was 32.2 ± 5.5. Approximately 4% to 8% of participants agreed that they had the requisite training, skills, or support/supervision to engage and assist suicidal patients, and 22% agreed to feeling comfortable asking their patients direct and open questions about suicide. The ASP scores and items relating to perceived skills were correlated with interest in direct involvement in suicide prevention.DiscussionThere were some positive findings, but overall, the pharmacists who participated in this survey felt unprepared to be frontline clinicians in suicide prevention efforts. Further studies should be conducted to determine if these findings are generally reflective of the broader pharmacy community. If the profession is to have a serious role in suicide prevention, then adequate suicide prevention training for pharmacy students and pharmacists may be necessary.

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“…14 Previous literature has shown that community pharmacists are able to complete mental health screenings in practice and, therefore, play a vital role in identifying patients at risk. [15][16][17][18][19][20] Patients' and other health care providers' current lack of understanding of the pharmacist's place in the health care system may impede the uptake of a greater role of the community pharmacist in mental health care. However, there are indications that societal attitudes toward engaging with a community pharmacist on such topics may be evolving.…”

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confidence: 99%

“…31 Training helps to build self-efficacy and confidence by increasing their mental health literacy, ability to recognize signs and symptoms of mental health crisis, appropriate responses to patients with suicidal thoughts, and referral processes and locations for patients. 16 MHFA training is required for community pharmacy accreditation in Australia. 32 For PCPs looking to collaborate with community pharmacists in suicide prevention, they may consider requiring their community pharmacist colleagues to complete this training.…”

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confidence: 99%