title: Police and Suicide Prevention.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Police officers are frequently the first responders to individuals in crisis, but generally receive little training for this role. We developed and evaluated training in suicide awareness and prevention for frontline rail police in the UK.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the impact of training on officers' suicide prevention attitudes, confidence, and knowledge.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty-three participants completed a brief questionnaire before and after undertaking training. In addition, two focus groups were conducted with 10 officers to explore in greater depth their views and experiences of the training program and the perceived impact on practice.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Baseline levels of suicide prevention attitudes, confidence, and knowledge were mixed but mostly positive and improved significantly after training. Such improvements were seemingly maintained over time, but there was insufficient power to test this statistically. Feedback on the course was generally excellent, notwithstanding some criticisms and suggestions for improvement.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Training in suicide prevention appears to have been well received and to have had a beneficial impact on officers' attitudes, confidence, and knowledge. Further research is needed to assess its longer-term effects on police attitudes, skills, and interactions with suicidal individuals, and to establish its relative effectiveness in the context of multilevel interventions.
authors.affiliation: 1 Psychology Department, Middlesex University, London, UK.
authors.forename: Lisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Marzano
authors.affiliation: 2 British Transport Police, London, UK.
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.affiliation: 3 Kent Police, Maidstone, UK.
authors.forename: Matthew
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Long
authors.affiliation: 2 British Transport Police, London, UK.
authors.forename: Charlotte
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kisby
authors.affiliation: 4 Centre for Suicide Research, University of Oxford, UK.
authors.forename: Keith
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hawton
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001290:Attitude; D004493:Education / Q000379:methods / Q000458:organization & administration; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016495:Police / Q000193:education / Q000523:psychology; D015397:Program Evaluation; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D000092864:Suicide Prevention
keywords: gatekeeper; intervention; police; suicide; training