Revista internacional de salud mental de emergencia y resiliencia humana

Abstracto

Is a Brief Education Enough Concerning Suicide and Threats of Suicide? Evaluation of an Educational Initiative for the Emergency Personnel

Stefan Malmström, Tommy Nordén and Torsten Norlander

The present study is a qualitative evaluation of a brief course for emergency personnel in western central Sweden with the goal of increasing awareness and knowledge among the staff and concerns questions related to psychological ill health and suicidality. The question posed was whether a short but intensive workshop could raise the level of knowledge among the staff and provide them with new tools. Is ”brief” enough in this context? The analysis yielded five broader categories: (a) Suicidal process, (b) Experiences from the course, (c) Future educational goals, (d) Interactions between the separate efforts, (e) Reflection and evaluation. These five categories formed the model of "educational triad" in which three themes, collaborative learning, experience and interaction are key components that influence the development process. The results showed that there was a great need for training in suicide prevention, mental health and treatment. Learning through interdisciplinary teams seems to work effectively. The conclusion was that within the framework for a unified and well organized campaign, brief can be enough.