A Computerized Simulated Training Tool for Suicide Prevention: Potential for Utility and Scalability in Social Work Education and Practice Settings

Background and Purpose: Suicide is a critical public health concern and a leading cause of preventable death worldwide. Social workers are well-positioned to engage in suicide prevention efforts as leading providers of behavioral health services in the United States, yet implementation of efforts depend on skill acquisition and providers often report feeling unprepared. Innovative technologies and simulation-based trainings with virtual clients are emerging in the behavioral healthcare field and provide opportunities to gain and apply skills through a combination of didactic content, practicing skills, and evaluation of skills. This pilot study explored the acceptability, feasibility, and preliminary effectiveness of three suicide prevention-focused simulations with virtual clients among social work student trainees.

Methods: A total of 22 students were recruited from a Master of Social Work (MSW) program in a midwestern region of the United States. Students were registered in a suicide-prevention elective course and after providing informed consent, completed pre- and post-test surveys, and engaged with three simulated trainings: 1) suicide risk assessment, 2) safety planning, and 3) motivating a client to treatment. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected and analyzed to examine hypotheses of the simulations being perceived as acceptable, experienced as feasible, adhered to, and producing improvements in skill perception and application with virtual clients over time.

Results: The majority of students (73%) reported having little to no coursework or formal training experience in suicide assessment or prevention approaches, and all (100%) expressed a desire for greater presence of suicide prevention training in MSW program curriculum. Students reported high acceptability scores, and usage data supported the feasibility of simulation engagement. Perceived readiness to use skills with a client and performance scores significantly improved from the first to third virtual client session for all three simulations (perceived readiness effect sizes calculated to be large for suicide assessment (1.11), large for safety planning (1.13), and medium for motivating to treatment (0.64); performance score effect sizes calculated to be large for suicide assessment (1.27), safety planning (1.14), and motivating to treatment (1.46)). Importantly, performance scores aligned with participant perceptions of preparedness and skill acquisition. Qualitative findings reinforced and expanded upon the above results, with themes emerging about the simulation experience being realistic, challenging, providing helpful feedback, and more.

Implications and Conclusions: Findings indicate the promising utility, effectiveness, and scalability of this simulated technology innovation. Implications point towards a strong desire and need for greater suicide prevention training and the importance of strategic planning for the implementation of a simulated training innovation in social work training programs and practice settings. Future research will examine the effectiveness and implementation of simulations on a larger scale and investigate comparisons between this simulated suicide prevention training versus a comparable in-person training.