Affiliation:
1. Health Services Research and Development Center to Improve Veteran Involvement in Care VA Portland Health Care System Portland Oregon USA
2. Department of Psychiatry Oregon Health and Science University Portland Oregon USA
3. Department of Psychiatry University of Rochester Medical Center Rochester New York USA
4. VISN2 Center of Excellence for Suicide Prevention Canandaigua New York USA
5. Department of Psychiatry University of California San Diego California USA
6. PsychArmor Institute San Diego California USA
Abstract
AbstractIntroductionVA S.A.V.E. (Signs; Ask; Validate; Encourage/Expedite) is a gatekeeper training developed by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) that teaches individuals to identify and assist veterans at risk for suicide. Although VA S.A.V.E. has been widely disseminated, rigorous evaluation is lacking.MethodsIn a pilot randomized controlled trial of a brief, video‐based version of VA S.A.V.E., individuals were recruited through Facebook, randomized to VA S.A.V.E. versus an attention control condition, and completed 6‐month follow‐up. A subgroup (n = 15) completed interviews. We used a mixed methods framework to integrate quantitative and qualitative findings.ResultsAmong 214 participants, 61% were spouses/partners of veterans and 77% had prior suicide exposure. Sixty‐seven percent (n = 68) of VA S.A.V.E. participants watched the entire video, and satisfaction and usability were highly rated. At 6‐month follow‐up, compared to the control group, the VA S.A.V.E. group had a higher proportion of participants use each gatekeeper behavior (66.7%–84.9% vs. 44.4%–77.1%), and used significantly more total gatekeeper behaviors (2.3 ± 0.9 vs. 1.8 ± 1.0; p = 0.01). Interviews supported positive reactions, learning, and behavior change from VA S.A.V.E.ConclusionVA S.A.V.E. merits further investigation into its effectiveness as a brief, scalable gatekeeper training for suicide prevention in veterans.
Funder
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
Subject
Psychiatry and Mental health,Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health,Clinical Psychology