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

Canadian Evaluations
Country Design Highest Outcome Published Classification
Canada Pre/Post Behavior Yes 3B
Author Year Title
McAuliffe & Perry 2007 Making it Safer: A Health Centre’s Strategy for Suicide Prevention
Population Studied Clinical, administrative, support personnel
Setting Mental Health Center
Addit’l
Components?
Standardized assessment and clinical protocols
No. ASIST
Studied
No. Comp.
Studied
Domain Name of Instrument # Items Notes
Satisfaction
Staff think trained adequately in
S protocols
1? This may include training other than ASIST
Knowledge &
Attitudes
Knowledge of steps to take post
assessment
1? This may reflect protocols & not ASIST
Skills
Behaviors
Suicide Attempts
Suicide Deaths
Admission of Suicidal ED Patients 1
Identification of Suicidal Risk ED Patients 1
Clinicians assessing all patients 1
10 Review of the Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training Program (ASIST) LivingWorks Education
400+
Collected over 4 years; taken from hospital
records.
Quantitative Outcomes
Comparison Outcome N ES Type ES
Pre/Post (long) Satisfaction with suicide risk training 126 Pct. Difference +50.0%
Pre/Post (long) Knowledge of protocols for suicidal patients 126 Pct. Difference +10.0%
Pre/Post (long) Staff assessments of patient suicide risk 126 Pct. Difference +13.0%
Pre/Post (long) Identification of suicidal risk in ED Patients N/A Pct. Difference ≈+18.0%
Pre/Post (long) Admission of suicidal ED patients N/A Pct. Difference -14.0%
Statistical significance: *= p < .05; **= p < .01; ***= p < .001; ns = not statistically significant; if blank, no statistical test was reported.
Notable Findings
“Staff of the Crisis Intervention Team reported that with a clearer process of exploring reasons for dying,
reasons for living and with an increased focus on strengthening the client’s protective factors in the
community, some admissions had been averted” (p. 302).
General Notes
• This comprehensive program was implemented with high levels of administrative support.
• Results may be confounded by same-time implementation of standardized assessment and protocols.
• The increase in identifications and decrease in admissions is an interesting phenomenon that has
been seen in other evaluations (Cornel et al., 2006).