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Recommendation 23: Gatekeeper Training

Risk Management and Treatment » Community-Based Interventions
23: Gatekeeper Training

There is insufficient evidence to recommend for or against standalone gatekeeper training to reduce the risk of suicide.

Strength:

Neither for nor against

Category:

ReviewedAmended

Grades and Definitions

Strong for
or "We recommend offering this option …"
Weak for
or "We suggest offering this option …"
No recommendation
or "There is insufficient evidence …"
Weak against
or "We suggest not offering this option …"
Strong against
or "We recommend against offering this option …"

Categories and Definitions

Evidence Reviewed* Recommendation Category* Definition*
Reviewed New-added New recommendation following review of the evidence
New-replaced Recommendation from previous CPG that has been carried over to the updated CPG that has been changed following review of the evidence
Not changed Recommendation from previous CPG that has been carried forward to the updated CPG where the evidence has been reviewed but the recommendation is not changed
Amended Recommendation from the previous CPG that has been carried forward to the updated CPG where the evidence has been reviewed and a minor amendment has been made
Deleted Recommendation from the previous CPG that has been removed based on review of the evidence
Not reviewed Not changed Recommendation from previous CPG that has been carried forward to the updated CPG, but for which the evidence has not been reviewed
Amended Recommendation from the previous CPG that has been carried forward to the updated CPG where the evidence has not been reviewed and a minor amendment has been made
Deleted Recommendation from the previous CPG that has been removed because it was deemed out of scope for the updated CPG
*Adapted from the NICE guideline manual (2012): The guidelines manual. London: National Institute for Health and Care Excellence;2012. and Martinez Garcia L, McFarlane E, Barnes S, Sanabria AJ, Alonso-Coello P, Alderson P. Updated recommendations: An assessment of NICE clinical guidelines. Implement Sci. 2014;9:72.

Recommendation Resources

Gatekeeper training teaches people to identify individuals who are showing warning signs of suicide risk and help them get the services they need. The integration of gatekeeper training, which highlights recognizing early warning signs, and understanding risk factors, and how to access timely, and effective interventions, enhances the standard of care across health care systems. The literature review conducted for the CPG did not yield evidence for or against gatekeeper training alone to reduce the risk of suicide.

Training and Clinical Resources

This section includes recommended training and clinical resources about gatekeeper training.

S.A.V.E. Training
VA S.A.V.E Training This free, brief online or in-person course will help you act with care and compassion if you come across a Veteran who is in crisis or is having thoughts of suicide. The acronym S.A.V.E. helps you remember the important steps involved in suicide prevention.
Psych Armor's S.A.V.E. Training
Suicide Prevention Resource Center's (SPRC)
Tools to Select, Implement, and Adapt Gatekeeper Trainings
Choosing a Suicide Prevention Gatekeeper Training Program—A Comparison Table of Trainings Available Online
Gatekeeper Training and Minimum Standards of Competency
Essentials for the Suicide Prevention Workforce
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Manuals

This section includes recommended implementation manuals about gatekeeper training.

Suicide Prevention Resource Center's (SPRC)
Suicide Prevention Resource Center Logo Guidance for Culturally Adapting Gatekeeper Trainings Cultural Adaptations are changes made to programs so that they better fit the unique needs of the community and culture in which they are implemented while remaining true to the program’s core elements.
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Videos

This section includes recommended videos about gatekeeper training.

Training: VA SAVE—Suicide Prevention for Veterans
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Books

This section includes recommended books about gatekeeper training.

Burnette, C., Ramchand, R., & Ayer, L. (2015). Gatekeeper Training for Suicide Prevention: A Theoretical Model and Review of the Empirical Literature. Rand health quarterly. 5(1), 16.
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Webinars

This section includes recommended webinars about gatekeeper training.

CPG Webinar Gatekeeper Training as a Force Multiplier for Community Suicide Prevention Presented by Cicely Burrows-McElwain, LCSW-C and Kendra "Kenner" Barnes, LCSW
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Articles

This section includes recommended articles about gatekeeper training.

Gould, M. S., Cross, W., Pisani, A. R., Munfakh, J. L., & Kleinman, M. (2013). Impact of Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training on the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. Suicide & life-threatening behavior, 43(6). 676–691. https://doi.org/10.1111/sltb.12049
Isaac, M., Elias, B., Katz, L. Y., Belik, S. L., Deane, F. P., Enns, M. W., Sareen, J., & Swampy Cree Suicide Prevention Team (2009). Gatekeeper training as a preventative intervention for suicide: a systematic review. Canadian journal of psychiatry. Revue canadienne de psychiatrie, 54(4), 260-268. https://doi.org/10.1177/070674370905400407
Matthieu, M. M., Cross, W., Batres, A. R., Flora, C. M., & Knox, K. L. (2008). Evaluation of gatekeeper training for suicide prevention in veterans. Archives of suicide research : official journal of the International Academy for Suicide Research, 12(2, 148–154. https://doi.org/10.1080/13811110701857491
Rallis, B. A., Esposito-Smythers, C., Disabato, D. J., Mehlenbeck, R. S., Kaplan, S., Geer, L., Adams, R., & Meehan, B. (2018). A brief peer gatekeeper suicide prevention training: Results of an open pilot trial. Journal of clinical psychology, 74(7), 1106-1116. https://doi.org/10.1002/jclp.22590
Samuolis, J., Harrison, A. J., & Flanagan, K. (2020). Evaluation of a Peer-Led Implementation of a Suicide Prevention Gatekeeper Training Program for College Students. Crisis, 41(5). 331–336. https://doi.org/10.1027/0227-5910/a000638
Sueki, H., & Ito, J. (2015). Suicide prevention through online gatekeeping using search advertising techniques: a feasibility study. Crisis, 36(4). 267–273. https://doi.org/10.1027/0227-5910/a000322
Yonemoto, N., Kawashima, Y., Endo, K., & Yamada, M. (2019). Implementation of gatekeeper training programs for suicide prevention in Japan: a systematic review. International journal of mental health systems, 13. 2. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13033-018-0258-3
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