title: Effectiveness of Depression-Suicidal Behaviour Gatekeeper Training among police officers in three European regions: Outcomes of the Optimising Suicide Prevention Programmes and Their Implementation in Europe (OSPI-Europe) study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Gatekeeper training for community facilitators, to identify and respond to those at risk of suicide, forms an important part of multi-level community-based suicide prevention programmes.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This study examined the effects of gatekeeper training on attitudes, knowledge and confidence of police officers in dealing with persons at risk of suicide.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 828 police officers across three European regions participated in a 4-hour training programme which addressed the epidemiology of depression and suicidal behaviour, symptoms of depression, warning signs and risk factors associated with suicidal behaviour, motivating help-seeking behaviour, dealing with acute suicidal crisis and informing bereaved relatives. Participants completed internationally validated questionnaires assessing stigmatising attitudes, knowledge about depression and confidence in dealing with suicidal persons pre- and post-training.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were significant differences among countries in terms of previous exposure to suicidal persons and extent of previous training. Post-training evaluation demonstrated significant improvements in stigmatising attitudes, knowledge and confidence in all three countries.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The consistently positive effects of gatekeeper training of police officers across different regions support inclusion of this type of training as a fundamental part of multi-level community-based suicide prevention programmes and roll-out, nationally and internationally.
authors.affiliation: 1 National Suicide Research Foundation, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland.|2 Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland.
authors.forename: Ella
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Arensman
authors.affiliation: 1 National Suicide Research Foundation, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland.
authors.forename: Claire
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Coffey
authors.affiliation: 1 National Suicide Research Foundation, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland.
authors.forename: Eve
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Griffin
authors.affiliation: 3 LUCAS (Centre for Care Research and Consultancy), KU Leuven, Leuven B-3000, Belgium.
authors.forename: Chantal
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Van Audenhove
authors.affiliation: 3 LUCAS (Centre for Care Research and Consultancy), KU Leuven, Leuven B-3000, Belgium.
authors.forename: Gert
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Scheerder
authors.affiliation: 4 Instituto de Saúde Pública, Universidade do Port, Porto (ISPUP).
authors.forename: Ricardo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gusmao
authors.affiliation: 5 EUTIMIA, Lisboa, Portugal.
authors.forename: Susana
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Costa
authors.affiliation: 1 National Suicide Research Foundation, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland.
authors.forename: Celine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Larkin
authors.affiliation: 6 Klinik und Poliklinik für Psychiatrie und Psychotherapie, Universitätsklinikum Leipzig AöR, Leipzig, Germany.
authors.forename: Nicole
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Koburger
authors.affiliation: 7 Nursing, Midwifery and Allied Health Professions Research Unit, Innovation Park, University of Stirling, FK9 4NF, Stirling, UK.
authors.forename: Margaret
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Maxwell
authors.affiliation: 7 Nursing, Midwifery and Allied Health Professions Research Unit, Innovation Park, University of Stirling, FK9 4NF, Stirling, UK.
authors.forename: Fiona
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Harris
authors.affiliation: 8 Slovene Center for Suicide Research, Andrej Marušič Institute, University of Primorska, Koper, Slovenia.
authors.forename: Vita
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Postuvan
authors.affiliation: 6 Klinik und Poliklinik für Psychiatrie und Psychotherapie, Universitätsklinikum Leipzig AöR, Leipzig, Germany.
authors.forename: Ulrich
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Hegerl
keywords: Gatekeeper training; community; depression; police; prevention; suicide