Clinical trial NCT01252927: Evaluation of a Gatekeeper Training Program
Official title: Evaluation of a Gatekeeper Training Program as Suicide Intervention Training for Medical Students
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: COMPLETED
Phase: NA
Conditions: Suicide
Lead sponsor: University of Manitoba
Sponsor class: OTHER
Collaborators: name: American Foundation for Suicide Prevention
First posted: 2010-12-03
Enrollment: 112
Sex: ALL
Standard ages: CHILD
ADULT
OLDER_ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: yes
Allocation: RANDOMIZED
Intervention model: PARALLEL
Primary purpose: HEALTH_SERVICES_RESEARCH

Brief 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.

Detailed 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.

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* all medical students at University of Manitoba

Exclusion Criteria:

* those who choose not to participate
* those who have already taken ASIST training or related SafeTALK training

Primary outcomes:
measure: OSCE checklist total score
timeFrame: 1 week before training, 1 week following training, and 4 years following training
measure: SIRI-2 score
timeFrame: 1 week before training, 1 week following training, and 4 years following training
measure: OSCE global rating total score
timeFrame: 1 week before training, 1 week following training, and 4 years following training
Secondary outcomes:
measure: self-perceived knowledge about suicide
timeFrame: 1 week before training, 1 week following training, and 4 years following training
measure: self-perceived skill in helping a suicidal individual
timeFrame: 1 week before training, 1 week following training, and 4 years following training
measure: self-perceived confidence in helping a suicidal individual
timeFrame: 1 week before training, 1 week following training, and 4 years following training
measure: Attitudes towards suicide total score
timeFrame: 1 week before training, 1 week following training, and 4 years following training
measure: self-perceived preparedness
timeFrame: 1 week before training, 1 week following training, and 4 years following training
measure: Total score on Interpersonal Skills Rating Scale
timeFrame: 1 week before training, 1 week following training, and 4 years following training
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Winnipeg
country: Canada
facility: University of Manitoba
state: Manitoba
Study officials:
affiliation: University of Manitoba
name: Shay-Lee Bolton, PhD
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
References: