The Suicide Prevention for College Student Gatekeepers Program

Abstract

Abstract. Background: American college students are presenting with increasingly lower levels of mental health and higher levels of anxiety and depression. Close to 30% of college students report having seriously considered suicide in their lifetime. It is critical to train peer gatekeepers to recognize and react to mental health emergency scenarios on college campuses. Aims: The Suicide Prevention for College Student Gatekeepers training program was designed to provide college students with information about the warning signs of suicide, as well as how to intervene when indicated. The program incorporates research specific to college students and suicide risk, utilizes a college student co-leader alongside a licensed psychologist, and maximizes discussion and role-play to support student learning and engagement. Method: The program was piloted with 65 undergraduate students and the results of the program are discussed. Results: Students who participated in the program reported increased feelings of suicide prevention competence both immediately after the training and at a 12-week follow-up. Additionally, students demonstrated increased knowledge about suicide and decreased stigma. Finally, students indicated high levels of acceptability of the program. Limitations: The lack of diversity and small sample size within this pilot should be addressed in future studies. Conclusion: This pilot study offers promising results for an efficient, college-student focused suicide prevention gatekeeper training program.

Performing Arts in Suicide Prevention Strategies: A Scoping Review

“…The selected studies are characterized by their extreme heterogeneity in terms of study design, type and size of populations studied, their purpose, and outcomes. Of the 35 included studies, most of them were observational studies without a control group ( n = 22) [ 30 , 50 , 72 , 73 , 74 , 75 , 76 , 77 , 78 , 79 , 80 , 81 , 82 , 83 , 84 , 85 , 86 , 87 , 88 , 89 , 90 , 91 ], four were quasi-experimental prospective controlled studies [ 92 , 93 , 94 , 95 ], four were cross-sectional studies [ 96 , 97 , 98 , 99 ] and five were randomized control trials (RCTs) [ 18 , 100 , 101 , 102 , 103 ].…”

“…Most of the studies were published from 2010 onward (29, 83%) [ 18 , 30 , 50 , 64 , 76 , 77 , 78 , 79 , 80 , 81 , 82 , 83 , 85 , 86 , 87 , 88 , 89 , 90 , 91 , 93 , 94 , 95 , 97 , 98 , 99 , 100 , 101 , 102 , 103 ]. Regarding geographical provenience, 54% of the studies were conducted in the US (19) [ 30 , 50 , 74 , 75 , 76 , 82 , 83 , 84 , 86 , 87 , 88 , 89 , 90 , 93 , 94 , 99 , 100 , 101 , 103 ], four in the UK [ 72 , 78 , 92 , 96 ], three in Australia [ 81 , 91 ...…”

Educational stakeholders’ attitudes and knowledge about nonsuicidal self-injury among university students: A cross-national study

“…Gatekeeper interventions have been used effectively to train staff and students how to respond appropriately to distressed peers and make appropriate mental health referrals. 22,23 Further, mental health professionals who work on college campuses must have training in intervention approaches recommended for NSSI. Such approaches include dialectical behavior therapy and other techniques aimed at enhancing coping and emotion regulation as well as those rooted in motivational change, such as motivational interviewing.…”

“…Student-staff may serve as important peer supports useful for identifying and reducing mental health difficulty and risk behaviors on college campuses. 22 Across stakeholders, a lack of knowledge can lead to misconceptions about NSSI, underlie poor responses to NSSI, and perpetuate stigma. 52 Indeed, research on the disclosure of NSSI among university students demonstrates that concern about reactions from recipients, such as lack of understanding and avoidance, as well as feelings of shame on behalf of the discloser, serve as salient barriers to disclosures.…”

“…Many colleges and universities are increasingly recognizing the importance of students' mental health and well-being and have begun implementing risk assessments and other intervention services. 20,21 These include providing gatekeeper training to students and staff to recognize, respond, and facilitate mental health referrals for distressed students, 22,23 as well as training college and university mental health practitioners in therapeutic techniques such as cognitive behavior therapy, dialectical behavior therapy, and other strategies to enhance coping and emotion regulation among students. 24,25 However, according to an analysis of US national college health data from 2009-2015, although students' reported intentions to seek campus mental health services have increased from 67.1% to 73.7%, actual use of services remains low, increasing only from 14.4% to 18.7%.…”