Review of the Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training Program ...

3.2 Satisfaction with ASIST training
Satisfaction is a measure of the value that trainees place in the training. For example, did trainees think the
training was useful? Did they consider it a valuable use of their time? Would they recommend the training
to others?
Satisfaction with training is critical. Without it, training would likely be unsustainable regardless of whether
other outcomes were positive or not.
Summary of Satisfaction Outcomes
Based upon several evaluation reports, ASIST trainees have generally been very
satisfied with the training. Specifically, participants
• Found ASIST training to be a good use of their time
• Thought ASIST training was of high quality
• Thought that the benefits of ASIST were long lasting
• Felt that they were better prepared to address suicide
after ASIST training
Training was a good use of time
Ninety-five percent of over 500 caregivers in Scotland agreed with the statement “going to ASIST training
had been a good use of their time” (Griesbach, et al., 2008).
Training was of high quality
Surveys and interviews of social and healthcare service providers found that “Participants in the ASIST
workshops held a strongly positive view of the training and felt that taking part was worthwhile and
beneficial..., rated highly the organization and planning of the workshops, [and] felt the quality of training
they received was high” (Smith & MacKay, 2007, p. 93).
Benefits of training have lasted for years
Trainees, from a variety of helping professions in Alberta, Canada, reported that the ASIST training was
valuable and that the benefits had lasted for several years. Further, these trainees reported greater
knowledge of community resources, greater comfort in talking about suicide, and greater skills in assessing
suicide risk and intervening with those at risk (Walsh & Perry, 2000).
Would recommend training to others
Over 90% of National Health Service workers, other government employees, and laypersons in Scotland,
“were very keen to recommend ASIST to others” (Todd, 2005, p. 5). Eighty-four percent of participants
would recommend ASIST because of the “skills, knowledge, and insights gained” (p. 6).
96% of U.S. Army personnel and associated civilians who took the ASIST training “Strongly Agreed”
or “Agreed” that ASIST training should be given to all personnel that interact closely with soldiers
(LivingWorks Education Inc., 2009).
Felt better prepared to address suicide
Medical students in Norway felt that ASIST training helped them feel more secure about the subject of
suicide, that ASIST simulations increased mastery of the subject, and that their confidence to ask about
suicide had increased (Guttormsen, Høifødt, Silvola, & Burkeland, 2003). Authors of the evaluation
concluded that
14 Review of the Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training Program (ASIST) LivingWorks Education