Training non-mental health professionals to assess and manage suicide risk: Community level intervention for suicide prevention in Guatemala

Abstract

Background: Domestic violence, childhood physical and sexual abuse, and gang violence are prevalent and growing problems for Guatemalan youth, particularly in low socioeconomic (SES) areas. Resources in the community for psychosocial support are greatly lacking. Schools often serve as the main source of support for these highly vulnerable adolescents. Yet, many teachers lack the training to manage the psychological distress of their at-risk students and to properly engage, assess, and manage the psychological needs of their students. We developed a brief risk assessment and management training for teachers to address this gap. Aims: We present the acceptability and preliminary effectiveness of the training at increasing teacher’s knowledge and understanding of how to engage and work with their at-risk students around their thoughts and feelings of suicide. Method: Twenty-two teachers from a school in a low SES community in Guatemala participated in the training program. Mixed methods were used to explore effectiveness, acceptability, and satisfaction with the training. Primary outcomes assessed were changes in self-reported knowledge and understanding of engaging and working with students at risk of suicide. Results: Participants reported increased knowledge and understanding of all training targets ( p < .05). Acceptability was high as no participants dropped out and all participants rated the training as useful for their professional development, meeting their expectations, and as highly satisfying. Conclusion: Brief, focused training on suicidality can be effective and is acceptable to lay professionals. Further examination of the effectiveness of the training in a larger sample is required to assess the long-term impact of the training and its transportability to other communities.