A randomized controlled trial of an online peer gatekeeper suicide prevention training program in college students

Objective Suicidal ideation, attempts, and deaths by suicide are prevalent amongst college students. Although college students often have access to a variety of mental health resources, they tend to seek help from peers who are generally not competent in helping address such suicidal behaviors. Gatekeeper training programs teach individuals how to identify those at risk of suicide and refer them to appropriate treatment. Thus, the present study used a randomized controlled trial to examine the efficacy of a peer online gatekeeper training program in college students.Method Ninety-two undergraduates (74 female, 69 Caucasian, Mage = 19.2) were randomly assigned to either an online gatekeeper training program (n = 46) or an online control training program (n = 46) and assessments were conducted pre- and post-training.Results Students who received the gatekeeper training demonstrated significantly larger increases on all dependent variables (knowledge of suicidal behaviors, perceived knowledge of suicidal behaviors, preparedness to perform in the gatekeeper role, and self-efficacy to perform in the gatekeeper role) than students who received the control training.Discussion Online gatekeeper training can be a cost-effective, efficient way to train college students to identify warning signs of suicidal behavior in their peers and refer at-risk students to professional help.