Reasons for living among those with lived experience entering the suicide prevention workforce

Hawgood, Jacinta; Rimkevičienė, Jurgita; Gibson, Mandy; McGrath, Martina; Edwards, Bronwen

doi:10.1080/07481187.2020.1788668

Cited by 5 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 19 publications

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“…Additional tools described by participants in this study, and ones not in the RFL inventory, included broader positive social and policy changes (e.g., same-sex marriage rights and anti-stigma campaigns, bridge barriers as demonstrating community care), the ability to reinvent oneself, exercise, nature, storytelling, peer-support, and pets. Manythough not all-of the tools or reasons for living to emerge from the present analysis were also found in a recent study by Hawgood et al [33] (pets, broad social policy and societal change did not appear in that investigation). In addition, while Hawgood's study found that being oriented toward the future helped people live [33]-and this was the case for many participants in the present study as well, especially for young people-other participants found that being focused on the present was most useful.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 76%

“…Manythough not all-of the tools or reasons for living to emerge from the present analysis were also found in a recent study by Hawgood et al [33] (pets, broad social policy and societal change did not appear in that investigation). In addition, while Hawgood's study found that being oriented toward the future helped people live [33]-and this was the case for many participants in the present study as well, especially for young people-other participants found that being focused on the present was most useful. Vatne et al (2016) also examined what resources strengthened patients' desire to live after a suicide attempt [34] and found that a sense of connectedness and having someone who cares was crucial, findings that resonate with this study.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 76%

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Strategies to Stay Alive: Adaptive Toolboxes for Living Well with Suicidal Behavior

Scarth¹,

Bering

Marsh

et al. 2021

IJERPH

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Suicidal behavior constitutes a major global problem. Qualitative research utilizing the first-hand experiences of those who have survived attempts to take their own lives can offer much in the way of understanding how to live well despite ongoing suicidal behavior. Given that suicidal intentions and behaviors occur within the person’s subjective construal, the solutions to living—and preferably living well—despite such inclinations must also be subjective and adaptive. The aim of this study was therefore to understand how individuals live with different aspects of their suicidal behavior and their use of effective strategies to protect themselves from future attempts. Thematic analysis of semi-structured, qualitative interviews with 17 participants with lived experience of suicidal behavior from the USA yielded two main themes: (i) the ‘dynamic relationship with suicidal behavior: living with, and through’, and (ii) ‘the toolbox’. Each of these themes had four subthemes. Participants in this study offered important insights into what helped them not just survive ongoing suicidal behavior, but how they created unique toolboxes to continue living, and to live well. These toolboxes contained personalized solutions to dealing with recurring threats to their subjective wellbeing and included diverse solutions from spirituality, pets, peer-support, participating in the arts, through to traditional therapeutic supports. Some participants also discussed the importance of broader social policy and societal changes that help them live. The findings highlight crucial implications for suicide prevention efforts, especially in terms of encouraging collaborations with the lived experience community and furthering a strengths-based approach to mitigating suicidal behaviors. We encourage the clinical community to work in partnership with service-users to enable them to generate effective solutions to living—and living well—through suicidal behavior.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 76%

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 76%

Strategies to Stay Alive: Adaptive Toolboxes for Living Well with Suicidal Behavior

Scarth¹,

Bering

Marsh

et al. 2021

IJERPH

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Findings consistently reveal an increase in knowledge about suicide and suicidal behavior as an outcome of GKT (Yonemoto et al, 2019), which may facilitate increased confidence and willingness to engage in intervention behavior (Rallis et al, 2018). Additionally, understanding lived experience of suicide and the critical place it has in suicide prevention reflects critical and emerging GK knowledge relevant for engaging, connecting, and responding to suicidal crisis (Hawgood et al, 2020). Skills and abilities involve different competency facets, including being able to recognize suicidality, being able to engage the suicidal person in an empathic and compassionate manner, and enabling crisis intervention and referral (Gould et al, 2013; QPR, n.d.).…”

Section: Proposed Gatekeeper Competenciesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Gatekeeper Training and Minimum Standards of Competency

Hawgood

Woodward

Quinnett³

et al. 2022

Crisis

Self Cite

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Abstract. Gatekeeper training (GKT) is one of the most widely used suicide prevention strategies. It involves training people who are not necessarily clinicians to be able to identify people experiencing suicidality and refer them to appropriate services. While there is a dearth of research that supports the causal link between GKT and reduced suicide rates, this is likely the result of a variety of factors including training design, definitions of “gatekeepers,” differing populations in which the gatekeeper (GK) operates, and other variables that may influence suicide rates. Despite this, research suggests that GKT improves people's knowledge, skills, and confidence in helping individuals who experience suicidal ideation and enhances positive beliefs about the efficacy of suicide prevention. However, there is no consensus on GK competencies to allow differences in effectiveness between various training programs to be measured, that is, knowledge, skills and abilities, attitudes, and self-efficacy attributes expected of a person resulting from the training. This paper discusses challenges in developing GK competencies. It uses developments in suicide prevention competencies for clinicians, vocational education, and training sector competencies, as well as empirical work in GKT, to propose minimum GK competencies that may be examined for further research and evaluation of programs.

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“…Notably, given that suicide is a behaviour and not a mental illness [ 11 ], the direct provision of support to those in suicidal distress may be very different to the support required for mental health experiences. Existing guidelines for the training and support of mental health LEW [ 12 ] lack tailored components deemed essential to the training and support of the suicide prevention LEW, such as their ability to discuss suicide safely without increasing suicide risk or stigma, as well as their own safety in terms of suicide risk [ 13 ]. Furthermore, the skills required by the suicide prevention LEW for supporting those in suicidal distress through to those bereaved by suicide demand a nuanced understanding of impacts of suicide-related stigma and the shame, guilt, and other internalised negative experiences associated with suicide lived experience [ 14 , 15 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…There is a small body of emerging research that has explored what motivates a person to become involved in the suicide prevention LEW [ 18 , 19 , 20 ], the potential benefits of participation [ 3 , 21 ], and the challenges involved in having a suicide prevention LEW [ 22 , 23 ]. However, we were unable to identify any guidelines for supporting their initial and sustained engagement.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Informing and Sustaining Participation of Lived Experience in the Suicide Prevention Workforce

Hawgood

Rimkevičienė

Gibson

et al. 2023

IJERPH

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Background: Currently, there is no comprehensive study focused on identifying what is needed to support ongoing participation within the suicide prevention lived experience workforce (LEW). It is unclear what specific factors may impede or support ongoing participation in the LEW. The aim of this study was to explore the experiences of suicide prevention LEW in terms of its sustainability. Method: A qualitative interview method was utilised, with a purposive sample of participants who had engaged in the LEW for at least 12 months. The sample comprised 13 individuals (nine females, four males) who engaged in multiple LEW roles, with over half (54%) working in the LEW for more than 5 years. Data were analysed using thematic analysis. Results: Five main themes were identified: support, passion, personal impact, training, and work diversity. Each theme offers perspectives about the challenges participants face within the suicide prevention LEW. Conclusion: Challenges faced are both similar to those found in the broader MH sector and unique to suicide prevention. Findings suggest that managing expectations of the LEW is important and can inform the creation of guidelines for a supported and sustainable suicide prevention LEW.

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Reasons for living among those with lived experience entering the suicide prevention workforce

Cited by 5 publications

References 19 publications

Strategies to Stay Alive: Adaptive Toolboxes for Living Well with Suicidal Behavior

Strategies to Stay Alive: Adaptive Toolboxes for Living Well with Suicidal Behavior

Gatekeeper Training and Minimum Standards of Competency

Informing and Sustaining Participation of Lived Experience in the Suicide Prevention Workforce

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