Suicide prevention training: Self-perceived competence among primary healthcare professionals

Objective: The aim is to report the outcomes of the suicide prevention training in terms of the self-perceived impact on the participants.

Design: The three-hour training consisted areas of risk and protective factors, screening and evaluating suicide risk, raising concerns and confronting suicidal patients, and treating suicidal ideation in primary healthcare and the associated referral processes.

Subjects: The studied participants consisted of general practitioners, nurses, public health nurses and social work professionals.

Main outcome measures: Participants assessed their own competence on online form regarding four training areas prior to and two weeks after the training.

Results: The response rate was 25%. The self-perceived competence of the healthcare professionals increased in all training areas and in all occupational groups. The healthcare professionals’ competence regarding the risk and protective factors training area saw the greatest increase across all professional groups except nurses. There were, however, differences between the groups.

Conclusion: Suicide prevention training for primary healthcare professionals did increase the self-perceived competence of the participants in all areas covered by the training. Regular follow-up training is required in order for these improvements to be further developed and retained.