An Assessment of Knowledge and Self-Efficacy Following Question, Persuade, Refer Gatekeeper Training in Alabama

Suicide remains a serious public health concern and is on the rise in some populations. The goal of this research was to examine the attitudes, beliefs, and perceived self-efficacy of those who participated in Question, Persuade, Refer (QPR) Gatekeeper Suicide Prevention Training. The study team conducted pre- and post-training surveys for 508 participants who completed QPR Gatekeeper Training between September 2018 and March 2019. A secondary data analysis was then conducted to examine differences in pre- and post-testing related to suicide knowledge, ability to identify warning signs, and reported self-efficacy to intervene during a potential crisis. Based on pre- and post-test mean scores, there was a statistically significant improvement in attitudes, beliefs, and perceived self-efficacy following QPR Gatekeeper training for 10 of the 12 survey statements. Results demonstrated that evidence-based suicide prevention programs, such as QPR Gatekeeper Training, can positively affect attitudes, beliefs, and perceived self-efficacy of trainees. Furthermore, based on the shorter duration of training when compared with half-day trainings such as LivingWorks SafeTalk and multi-day trainings such as Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training, QPR Gatekeeper Training may be amendable to a greater number of trainees without losing its effectiveness. This study adds to the existing body of literature on the potency of QPR Gatekeeper Training using an innovative, multi-item scale.