Background: Suicide is the leading cause of death for young people aged 15 to 24 years in Australia. Young people who experience suicidal thoughts and/or behaviors may face barriers to accessing appropriate mental health services, making the delivery of alternative suicide prevention approaches outside the health care system paramount. Training community members who have regular contact with young people is one potential approach (i.e., gatekeeper training). Evidence supports the immediate effects of gatekeeper training; however, few studies have explored the longer-term impact of this training, particularly in reference to behavioural change and the use of acquired skills. This evaluation sought to generate a local body of evidence to demonstrate the short- and longer-term impact of gatekeeper training in Australia.
Methods: Community members (N=3,965) from New South Wales who had completed a LivingWorks gatekeeper training program (ASIST, safeTALK, Start and Faith) between February 2023 and June 2024 were invited to participate. Trainees completed a short online survey on five separate occasions over a 12-month period (pre-training, post-training, 3-month, 6-month and 12-month follow-ups).
Results: Preliminary data indicates that gatekeeper training has a positive impact on participants’ confidence and attitudes with sustained effects 3-months post-training. Participants reported that the training was sufficient to provide initial support to someone experiencing suicidal thoughts, with approximately 67% of participants indicating that they had used their newly acquired skills in the 3-months post-training. The longer-term effects (i.e., 6-months and 12-months post-training) will be discussed.
Conclusion: Evidence is provided to demonstrate the positive impact of gatekeeper training on the community’s capacity to identify and respond to suicidal thoughts in young people, suggesting gatekeeper training may form an important component of an overall suicide prevention strategy.