Does a Gatekeeper Suicide Prevention Program Work in a School Setting? Evaluating Training Outcome and Moderators of Effectiveness

The suicide prevention gatekeeper training program QPR was evaluated among school personnel using a nonequivalent control group design. Substantial gains were demonstrated from pre- to post-test for attitudes, knowledge, & beliefs regarding suicide & suicide prevention. Exploratory analyses revealed the possible moderating effects of age, professional role, prior training, & recent contact with suicidal youth on QPR participants’ general knowledge, questioning, attitudes toward suicide & suicide prevention, QPR quiz scores, & self-efficacy. The need for replication using a more rigorous experimental design in the context of strong community collaboration is discussed. (22 refs.) JA