The Development of an Online Training Tool for Crisis Supporters on Late Life Suicide: Improving Knowledge While Promoting Empowerment

Abstract

Telephone crisis services have an increasing role in suicide prevention yet existing interventions have not empowered crisis supporters with adequate education targeting the needs of older people in crisis. An existing educational intervention was adapted for crisis supporters through collaboration between a crisis support service, clinician researchers, and an eLearning technology company. Empowering crisis supporters, through improving knowledge and highlighting their strengths and expertise, was emphasized. The adaptive learning technology featured a pretest, middle learning module (educational content), and post-test individualized to the participant’s incorrect pretest answers. The online training tool on suicidal behaviors in late-life combined clinician researcher expertise and evidence, insights from crisis supporters, and adaptive learning technology to create a purpose-built educational tool addressing an unmet need.

Keywords:

• Crisis supporter
• education
• empowerment
• self-harm
• volunteer

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The authors would like to thank Lifeline Australia for their collaboration in this initiative.

DISCLOSURE STATEMENT

The authors have no disclosures or conflicts of interest.

Additional information

Funding

This work was funded by a seed grant from the University of New South Wales, Ageing Futures Institute, in collaboration with Capacity Australia.

Notes on contributors

Anne P. F. Wand

Anne P. F. Wand, Discipline of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia; Jara Unit, Older Persons’ Mental Health Service, Concord Centre for Mental Health, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia; Specialty of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.

Carmelle Peisah

Carmelle Peisah, Discipline of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia; Capacity Australia, Sydney, Australia.