Engaging Educators in School-Based Suicide Prevention: Evaluating Educators’ Perspectives on the Implementation of a Gatekeeper Training Program

Abstract Educators are well-positioned to identify risk factors for suicide, given their frequent contact with students and ability to recognize changes in behavior. However, teachers rarely receive targeted training in suicide prevention. Moreover, when provided, the acceptability of such training from the teachers receiving this training is understudied. The present study examined evaluations of a new school-based gatekeeper training program, the SOS for School Staff program. Specifically, post-course evaluation results of 4,740 teachers from across the U.S. were evaluated, following their participation in a 1-h SOS for School Staff training. Descriptive statistics revealed that teachers perceived themselves as having high preparedness, confidence, and knowledge of suicide prevention post-training. Additionally, qualitative data were used to examine teachers’ acceptability of the SOS for School Staff training, with thematic and sentiment analysis revealing generally positive impressions of the training. Emergent themes regarding the training’s strengths (e.g., realistic examples, interactive nature), challenges (e.g., accessibility, emotionally charged content), and improvement ideas (e.g., enhancing post-training follow-up, expanding audience) were examined. Findings may advance understanding of educators’ acceptability of gatekeeper programs for suicide prevention, which can be implemented as part of broader school-wide initiatives to support student mental health and prevent suicidality.