Training and Professional Development to Inform Suicide Prevention During School Reintegration Following Psychiatric Hospitalization

Abstract

There has been an increase in suicide-related thoughts and behaviors for school-aged children. This has translated into an increase in emergency department visits and hospitalizations due to mental health concerns. These trends have prompted school mental health professionals to seek more training to support these students as they return to school. As such, we piloted an online training that included asynchronous content-based modules and a live mixed-reality role-play experience. Participants (n = 12) demonstrated an increase in knowledge and skills, as demonstrated by pre- and post-survey responses and observations of the mixed-reality experience. In addition, participants viewed the training as acceptable and feasible, noting the flexibility of the asynchronous modules and the opportunities for application of skills in a low-stakes environment during the mixed-reality simulation. Implications for school mental health professional training and suicide prevention are discussed.