The Effect of Korean Standardized Suicide Prevention Program on Intervention by Gatekeepers / 신경정신의학

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: Since 2003 South Korea's suicide rate has remained the highest among Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development countries. Gatekeeper training is a major strategy in the national suicide prevention plan in Korea. In this study, we evaluated the effect of the Korean standardized suicide prevention program on the gatekeeper's intervention, developed by the Korea Association for Suicide Prevention and implemented by the Korea Suicide Prevention Center. METHODS: A telephone survey was conducted in order to assess awareness and intervention for the high risk group. Out of the 35825 people who completed the educational course in 2013, 800 gatekeepers were selected by proportional quota sampling. RESULTS: Of the 800 subjects, 93% answered that people in the high risk group of suicide sent diverse signals implying suicide ; 19.9% of the gatekeepers found actual high risk suicidal people, 95% of whom listened to why they came to think about suicide and 71.5% of listeners gave information about suicide prevention and referred them to mental health professionals. CONCLUSION: The Korean standardized suicide prevention program may be helpful to the gatekeepers in playing an adequate role in intervention, but further study is needed in order to evaluate long-term educational effects.