title: Factors influencing the suicide intervention skills of emergency medical services providers.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Lithuania currently has the highest suicide rate in Europe and the fifth highest worldwide.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To identify the factors that influence the suicide intervention skills of emergency medical services (EMS) providers (doctors, nurses, paramedics).
  
  
  METHODS
  Two hundred and sixty-eight EMS providers participated in the research. The EMS providers were surveyed both prior to their training in suicide intervention and six months later. The questionnaire used for the survey assessed their socio-demographic characteristics, suicide intervention skills, attitudes towards suicide prevention, general mental health, strategies for coping with stress, and likelihood of burnout.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Better suicide intervention skills were more prevalent among EMS providers with a higher level of education, heavier workload, more positive attitudes towards suicide prevention, better methods of coping with stress, and those of a younger age. Six months after the non-continuous training in suicide intervention, the providers' ability to assess suicide risk factors had improved, although there was no change in their suicide intervention skills.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In order to improve the suicide intervention skills of EMS providers, particular attention should be paid to attitudes towards suicide prevention, skills for coping with stress, and continuous training in suicide intervention.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  EMS: Emergency medical services; SIRI: Suicide intervention response inventory.
authors.affiliation: a Psychiatric Department of Hospital of Lithuanian University of Health Sciences Kaunas Clinics , Kaunas , Lithuania.
authors.forename: Aidana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lygnugaryte-Griksiene
authors.affiliation: a Psychiatric Department of Hospital of Lithuanian University of Health Sciences Kaunas Clinics , Kaunas , Lithuania.
authors.forename: Darius
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Leskauskas
authors.affiliation: b Emergency Medical Department of Hospital of Lithuanian University of Health Sciences Kaunas Clinics , Kaunas , Lithuania.
authors.forename: Nedas
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Jasinskas
authors.affiliation: c Kaunas St. Kazimieras Lower Secondary School , Kaunas , Lithuania.
authors.forename: Agne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Masiukiene
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D002983:Clinical Competence; D004632:Emergency Medical Services / Q000592:standards*; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006282:Health Personnel / Q000193:education* / Q000592:standards; D006801:Humans; D008097:Lithuania; D012307:Risk Factors; D000092864:Suicide Prevention
keywords: Training; emergency medicine; healthcare professionals; intervention; mental health; prevention; suicides