IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/sae/socpsy/v62y2016i7p651-660.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Effectiveness of Depression–Suicidal Behaviour Gatekeeper Training among police officers in three European regions: Outcomes of the Optimising Suicide Prevention Programmes and Their Implementation in Europe (OSPI-Europe) study

Author

Listed:
  • Ella Arensman
  • Claire Coffey
  • Eve Griffin
  • Chantal Van Audenhove
  • Gert Scheerder
  • Ricardo Gusmao
  • Susana Costa
  • Celine Larkin
  • Nicole Koburger
  • Margaret Maxwell
  • Fiona Harris
  • Vita Postuvan
  • Ulrich Hegerl

Abstract

Background: Gatekeeper training for community facilitators, to identify and respond to those at risk of suicide, forms an important part of multi-level community-based suicide prevention programmes. Aims: This study examined the effects of gatekeeper training on attitudes, knowledge and confidence of police officers in dealing with persons at risk of suicide. Methods: A total of 828 police officers across three European regions participated in a 4-hour training programme which addressed the epidemiology of depression and suicidal behaviour, symptoms of depression, warning signs and risk factors associated with suicidal behaviour, motivating help-seeking behaviour, dealing with acute suicidal crisis and informing bereaved relatives. Participants completed internationally validated questionnaires assessing stigmatising attitudes, knowledge about depression and confidence in dealing with suicidal persons pre- and post-training. Results: There were significant differences among countries in terms of previous exposure to suicidal persons and extent of previous training. Post-training evaluation demonstrated significant improvements in stigmatising attitudes, knowledge and confidence in all three countries. Conclusion: The consistently positive effects of gatekeeper training of police officers across different regions support inclusion of this type of training as a fundamental part of multi-level community-based suicide prevention programmes and roll-out, nationally and internationally.

Suggested Citation

  • Ella Arensman & Claire Coffey & Eve Griffin & Chantal Van Audenhove & Gert Scheerder & Ricardo Gusmao & Susana Costa & Celine Larkin & Nicole Koburger & Margaret Maxwell & Fiona Harris & Vita Postuvan, 2016. "Effectiveness of Depression–Suicidal Behaviour Gatekeeper Training among police officers in three European regions: Outcomes of the Optimising Suicide Prevention Programmes and Their Implementation ," International Journal of Social Psychiatry, , vol. 62(7), pages 651-660, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:socpsy:v:62:y:2016:i:7:p:651-660
    DOI: 10.1177/0020764016668907
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0020764016668907
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1177/0020764016668907?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Knox, K.L. & Pflanz, S. & Talcott, G.W. & Campise, R.L. & Lavigne, J.E. & Bajorska, A. & Tu, X. & Caine, E.D., 2010. "The US air force suicide prevention program: Implications for public health policy," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 100(12), pages 2457-2463.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Sadhvi Krishnamoorthy & Sharna Mathieu & Victoria Ross & Gregory Armstrong & Kairi Kõlves, 2022. "What Are Complex Interventions in Suicide Research? Definitions, Challenges, Opportunities, and the Way Forward," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(14), pages 1-10, July.
    2. Tanja Laukkala & Alpo Vuorio & Robert Bor & Bruce Budowle & Pooshan Navathe & Eero Pukkala & Antti Sajantila, 2018. "Copycats in Pilot Aircraft-Assisted Suicides after the Germanwings Incident," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(3), pages 1-8, March.
    3. Alpo Vuorio & Tanja Laukkala & Ilkka Junttila & Robert Bor & Bruce Budowle & Eero Pukkala & Pooshan Navathe & Antti Sajantila, 2018. "Aircraft-Assisted Pilot Suicides in the General Aviation Increased for One-Year Period after 11 September 2001 Attack in the United States," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(11), pages 1-10, November.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:sae:socpsy:v:62:y:2016:i:7:p:651-660. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: SAGE Publications (email available below). General contact details of provider: .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.