Evaluation of a Gatekeeper Training Program

Suicide Clinical Trial

Official title: Evaluation of a Gatekeeper Training Program as Suicide Intervention Training for Medical Students

Status Completed

Clinical Trial Summary

The main objective of the proposed study is to evaluate the efficacy of a gatekeeper training suicide intervention program, Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST), in improving medical students' knowledge about suicide intervention, impact of attitudes on someone at risk for suicide and competent use of intervention skills to recognize risk and intervene effectively compared to medical education as usual. This research project will be undertaken using a randomized-controlled trial design. Questionnaires and objective structured clinical examinations using simulated patients will be completed at three time points: 1) before training, 2) after training, and 3) at one year following the training. Medical students' clinical skills in recognizing risk and intervening with simulated patients, as well as knowledge about suicide intervention and the impact of attitudes on someone at risk for suicide will be evaluated.

Clinical Trial Description

The current proposal plans to implement and evaluate a secondary suicide intervention skills training program (gatekeeper training) in medical school students in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. The main objective of the current proposal is to evaluate the effectiveness of a gatekeeper training program, Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST), in improving medical students' intervention skills with suicidal patients compared to training as usual. Secondary aims include comparisons of changes in knowledge, perceived competence and attitudes around suicide.

Findings from previous studies have demonstrated a significant positive effect of gatekeeper training on suicide prevention attitudes, skills and knowledge. As well, general studies in medical education reveal that students who have been able to practice, observe, and receive feedback in small groups showed an improvement in skills and confidence over those who were given didactic teaching only. Therefore, the investigators anticipate that the ASIST training program will significantly improve medical students' knowledge about suicide intervention, and will increase their recognition and response to suicide risk compared to education as usual. The investigators also expect that ASIST training will help them to understand the impact of attitudes on suicide prevention, and will increase their perceived competence and ability to recognize and treat a suicidal individual compare over training as usual. It is hypothesized that medical students trained in ASIST will differ significantly in their ability to correctly recognize and intervene with suicidal individuals based on their use of a standardized suicide intervention model and objective assessment using standardized patients. ;

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Suicide

• NCT number: NCT01252927
• Study type: Interventional
• Source: University of Manitoba
• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Start date: March 27, 2011
• Completion date: August 1, 2015