title: Brief gatekeeper training for suicide prevention in an ethnic minority population: a controlled intervention.
abstract: Suicide is a critical public health problem around the globe. Asian populations are characterized by elevated suicide rates and a tendency to seek social support from family and friends over mental health professionals. Gatekeeper training programs have been developed to train frontline individuals in behaviors that assist at-risk individuals in obtaining mental health treatment. The purpose of this study is to assess the efficacy of a brief, multi-component gatekeeper intervention in promoting suicide prevention in a high-risk Asian community in the United States.
  
  
  
  We adapted an evidence-based gatekeeper training into a two-hour, multi-modal and interactive event for Japanese-Americans and related stakeholders. Then we evaluated the intervention compared to an attention control using mixed methods.
  
  
  
  A sample of 106 community members participated in the study. Intervention participants (n = 85) showed significant increases in all three types of intended gatekeeper behavior, all four measures of self-efficacy, and both measures of social norms relevant to suicide prevention, while the control group (n = 48) showed no significant improvements. Additional results showed significantly higher satisfaction and no adverse experiences associated with the gatekeeper training. The separate collection of qualitative data, and integration with the quantitative survey constructs confirmed and expanded understanding about the benefits of the intervention.
  
  
  
  A brief, multi-modal gatekeeper training is efficacious in promoting positive gatekeeper behaviors and self-efficacy for suicide prevention in an at-risk ethnic minority population of Japanese Americans.
authors.affiliation: VA Portland Health Care System, Health Service Research & Development (HSR&D) Center to Improve Veteran Involvement in Care (CIVIC), 3710 SW US Veterans Hospital Rd (R&D 66), Portland, OR, 97239-2964, USA. teoa@ohsu.edu.|Department of Psychiatry, Oregon Health & Science University, 3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Rd (Multnomah Pavilion, Room 2316), Portland, OR, 97239-3098, USA. teoa@ohsu.edu.|Oregon Health & Science University and Portland State University, School of Public Health, 506 SW Mill St., Suite 450 (OMPH-SCH), Portland, OR, 97201, USA. teoa@ohsu.edu.
authors.forename: Alan R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Teo
authors.affiliation: VA Portland Health Care System, Health Service Research & Development (HSR&D) Center to Improve Veteran Involvement in Care (CIVIC), 3710 SW US Veterans Hospital Rd (R&D 66), Portland, OR, 97239-2964, USA.|Oregon Health & Science University and Portland State University, School of Public Health, 506 SW Mill St., Suite 450 (OMPH-SCH), Portland, OR, 97201, USA.
authors.forename: Sarah B
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Andrea
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Medicine, University of Michigan, 1018 Fuller Street, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104-1213, USA.
authors.forename: Rae
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sakakibara
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Medicine, University of Michigan, 1018 Fuller Street, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104-1213, USA.
authors.forename: Satoko
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Motohara
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterans Affairs, Central Arkansas VA Health Care System, Mental Health Services and VA Mental Health Quality Enhancement Research Initiative, 2200 Fort Roots Dr., Bldg. 58, North Little Rock, 72114, Little Rock, AR, 72205, USA.|Saint Louis University, College for Public Health and Social Justice, School of Social Work, Tegeler Hall, 3550 Lindell Blvd, Suite 300, St. Louis, MO, 63106, USA.
authors.forename: Monica M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Matthieu
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Medicine, University of Michigan, 1018 Fuller Street, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104-1213, USA.
authors.forename: Michael D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Fetters
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001213:Asian / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008913:Minority Groups / Q000523:psychology*; D012017:Referral and Consultation; D020377:Self Efficacy; D066262:Social Norms; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013663:Teaching / Q000523:psychology*; D014481:United States; D000092864:Suicide Prevention
keywords: Asian; Community; Gatekeeper training; Identification and referral; Intervention; Japanese; Mixed methods; Suicide prevention