Introduction: Gatekeeper (GK) training is a suicide prevention strategy in which community members learn to identify individuals at risk of suicide and refer them for appropriate help. Despite its widespread use, few studies have investigated its effects, including changes in helping behaviors.
Aims: To assess the impact of GK training on participants' knowledge, recognition of the influence of attitudes, perceived self-efficacy, intention to help and helping behaviors, and to identify variables associated with GK behaviors.
Methods: Mixed linear effects and forward stepwise logistic regressions were used to analyze data from 159 participants receiving the Quebec Provincial GK Training program offered by five different suicide prevention centers using pretest, posttest and 6-month follow-up questionnaires.
Results: Participants' knowledge of the GK role and suicide prevention, intention to help, self-efficacy, knowledge of services, and recognition of the influence of attitudes significantly increased following training. Most changes decreased at follow-up but remained higher than at pretest. Lower levels of education and higher intention to help were significant predictors of engaging in helping behaviors in the first 6 months after receiving training.
Conclusions: The Quebec GK training appears to be effective in preparing participants for their role but does not appear to significantly increase helping behaviors.
Keywords: community; gatekeeper training; helping behaviors; risk assessment; suicide prevention.
© 2023 The Authors. Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of American Association of Suicidology.