Evaluation of an avatar-based training program to promote suicide prevention awareness in a college setting

ABSTRACT

Objective: Training programs exist that prepare college students, faculty, and staff to identify and support students potentially at risk for suicide. Kognito is an online program that trains users through simulated interactions with virtual humans. This study evaluated Kognito's effectiveness in preparing users to intervene with at-risk students. Participants: Training was completed by 2,727 university students, faculty, and staff from April, 2014 through September, 2015. Methods: Voluntary and mandatory participants at a land-grant university completed Kognito modules designed for higher education, along with pre- and post-assessments. Results: All modules produced significant gains in reported Preparedness, Likelihood, and Self-Efficacy in intervening with troubled students. Despite initial disparities in reported abilities, after training participants reported being similarly capable of assisting at-risk students, including LGBTQ and veteran students. Conclusions: Kognito training appears to be effective, on a large scale, in educating users to act in a facilitative role for at-risk college students.

KEYWORDS:

• College students
• LGBTQ
• mental health
• suicide prevention
• veterans

Conflict of interest disclosure

The authors have no conflicts of interest to report. The authors confirm that the research presented in this article met the ethical guidelines, including adherence to the legal requirements, of the United States of America and received approval from the Institutional Review Board of West Virginia University.

Acknowledgments

The views, opinions and content of this publication are those of the authors and contributors, and do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions, or policies of the Center for Mental Health Services, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, or Human & Health Services, and should not be construed as such.

This study is based on a Senior Honors Thesis by the first author, supervised by the second author. None of the authors have any relationship with the developers of Kognito, or any interest associated with the company that provides Kognito.

H. Mei Ng now is at Counseling & Psychological Services, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN.

Additional information

Funding

This study was funded in part under grant #1U79SM061444-01 from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (PI: Hawkins). West Virginia University access to the program during the study period was funded by the grant noted above.