Effectiveness of Online Suicide Prevention (Gatekeeper) E-Module Training Compared to In-Person Training for Frontline Healthcare Workers of the National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme (NTEP) in Karnataka - An Interventional Study

1)   Title: Effectiveness of Online Suicide Prevention (Gatekeeper) E-Module Training Compared to In-Person Training for Frontline Healthcare Workers of the National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme (NTEP) in Karnataka - An Interventional Study

 

2)   Summary (250 words)

2.1 - Background: Suicide-related mortality rates in tuberculosis (TB) patients are twenty to seventy times higher than the rate of suicide among the general population in India. Therefore, gatekeeper suicide prevention training (GKSPT) is considered an effective suicide prevention strategy for identifying warning signs, risks, and protective factors associated with suicide. The current proposal investigates the effectiveness of GKSPT online training compared to in-person training for the healthcare workers (HCWs) of the National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme (NTEP).

 2.2 – Novelty: This would be the first study to develop, validate, and explore the effectiveness of a GKSPT online e-module training compared to in-person training, as well as an added Suicide Risk Assessment (SRA) app, for the HCWs of NTEP.

 2.3 – Objectives: This study aims to investigate the effectiveness of GKSPT online e-module training compared to in-person training for the HCWs of NTEP.

 2.4 - Methods:  NIMHANS will develop and validate Gatekeeper Suicide Prevention (GKSPT) content, collaborating with III-T Bengaluru; an online e-module and SRA App for suicide risk assessment will be jointly developed. Through randomized district-level allocation, NTEP HCWs will receive either online or in-person GKSPT training, with access to the SRA App as a variable. The study will measure pre- and post-training changes in HCWs’ ability to identify suicidality in TB patients and assess skill retention. By conducting follow-up evaluations, the study will determine the acquired skill retention in suicide prevention among HCWs.

  2.5  - Expected Outcomes: The study is expected to yield insights into the relative effectiveness of the GKSPT online e-module training and In-person training for frontline HCWs in the NTEP. Additionally, HCWs anticipated demonstrating improved skills in identifying warning signs and risk factors associated with suicidal ideation among TB patients and making appropriate and timely referrals to mental health services.