Training mental health professionals to assess and manage suicidal behavior: can provider confidence and practice behaviors be altered?

Suicide Life Threat Behav. 2009 Feb;39(1):21-32. doi: 10.1521/suli.2009.39.1.21.

Abstract

Remarkably little systematic research has studied the effects of clinical suicidology training on changing practitioner attitudes and behaviors. In the current study we investigated whether training in an empirically-based assessment and treatment approach to suicidal patients administered through a continuing education workshop could meaningfully impact professional practices, clinic policy, clinician confidence, and beliefs posttraining and 6 months later. At the 6 month follow-up we found that 44% of practitioners reported increased confidence in assessing suicide risk, 54% reported increased confidence in managing suicidal patients, 83% reported changing suicide care practices, and 66% reported changing clinic policy. These results suggest that a brief and carefully developed workshop training experience can potentially change provider perceptions and behaviors with a possible impact on clinical care therein.

MeSH terms

  • Attitude of Health Personnel
  • Education, Continuing
  • Follow-Up Studies
  • Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice*
  • Health Personnel / education*
  • Health Personnel / psychology
  • Humans
  • Mental Health Services*
  • Risk Assessment
  • Suicide Prevention*
  • Suicide* / psychology
  • Surveys and Questionnaires