Title:
The efficacy of an online gatekeeper training program in college students
Author:
Kezia E. Coleman
Thesis Advisor:
Jason M. Prenoveau
Committee Member:
Matthew W. Kirkhart
Committee Member:
Amanda M. Thomas
Committee Member:
Jason Parcover
Degree Granting Institution:
Loyola University Maryland--College of Arts and Sciences
Place:
Baltimore (Md.)
Publisher:
Loyola University Maryland
Date Created:
2016
Type of Resource:
text
Genre:
thesis
Language:
eng
Format:
application/pdf
Physical Form:
electronic
Digital Source:
born digital
Abstract:
Suicide remains the leading cause of death among college-aged individuals, and suicidal behaviors, including suicidal ideation, attempts, and deaths by suicide are prevalent amongst college individuals. Although college students at risk for suicide have access to a variety of effective mental health resources on campus, they often seek help from their peers who are not competent or efficacious in assisting them appropriately. Gatekeeper training programs are designed to teach individuals how to identify those at risk of suicide, and to refer them to appropriate treatment. Gatekeeper training programs, including the online version, has been associated with individual increases in knowledge and attitudes about performing in the gatekeeper role. Using a randomized controlled trial, the goal of the present study was to evaluate whether college students who received an online gatekeeper training program would demonstrate significantly larger increases than students who received a control training on the following dependent variables: knowledge of suicidal behaviors, knowledge of how to perform in the gatekeeper role, preparedness and self-efficacy. The present study utilized a sample of 92 undergraduate students, with 46 participants in each condition. Participants completed pre-training and post-training questionnaires assessing their knowledge of gatekeeper suicide prevention, perceived knowledge, perceived preparedness, and perceived efficacy. Results of the present study revealed that students who received the online gatekeeper training program reported significantly larger increases in knowledge, perceived knowledge, perceived preparedness, and perceived efficacy than students who received the control condition. The present study is the first study to evaluate the efficacy of an online gatekeeper training program using a randomized controlled trial in a college population. The results of this study can be used to further contribute to the literature to demonstrate the efficacy of gatekeeper training programs. Furthermore, implementing online QPR training during large training forums (e.g., undergraduate orientations) would train a vast majority of students, conveniently and cheaply, to identify warning signs of suicidal behavior in their peers and how to effectively refer individuals at risk for suicide to professional help. It is hoped that training individuals in this manner will ultimately lead to a reduction of suicidal behaviors on college campuses.
Degree:
Doctor of Clinical Psychology
Level:
Doctoral
Discipline:
Psychology
Restrictions on Access:
Author has given permission to make this work available online.
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Identifier:
ColemanKE-16
