Suicide prevention training for pharmacy students in Ireland: A pre-post survey evaluation

Background Pharmacists regularly encounter individuals experiencing suicidal distress. However, suicide prevention education is not routinely offered to pharmacy students. This study evaluated (i) the impact of a suicide prevention workshop on students' attitudes and perceived competence in suicide prevention and; (ii) the feasibility of embedding such training into pharmacy curricula. Methods A pre-post survey was conducted with students enrolled in the final year of a Pharmacy programme in Ireland. A three-hour suicide prevention workshop was delivered as part of their Clinical Pharmacy module. Workshop content included suicide epidemiology, risk and protective factors, communication and safety planning, and student personal wellbeing. Quantitative outcomes measured included changes in perceptions of suicide prevention importance and competence and workshop acceptability, feasibility, and appropriateness. Results Of the 53 students who attended the workshop, 26 students completed the evaluation. Students' perceived suicide prevention importance scores increased post-workshop (mean difference = 1.82, p = 0.004). Perceived competence scores also increased (mean difference = 15.65, p < 0.001). Post-workshop perceptions were positive, with mean scores of 28.81/30 for acceptability, 13.56/15 for feasibility, and 21.78/25 for appropriateness. Students supported continued inclusion of the content within the programme, with most indicating a preference to receive such training earlier. Conclusions This study demonstrates that suicide prevention education improves pharmacy students' perceived readiness to respond to individuals at risk of suicide. The workshop was successfully embedded within the pharmacy curriculum, and viewed positively by students, who strongly supported continued curricular inclusion. Suicide prevention education represents an important consideration for current and future pharmacy training.