Accepted for/Published in: JMIR Research Protocols
Date Submitted: Nov 28, 2021
Date Accepted: Feb 21, 2022
The effectiveness of an online peer gatekeeper training program for postsecondary students on suicide prevention in Japan: a randomized controlled trial
ABSTRACT
Background:
For student suicide countermeasures, the effect of gatekeeper training on self-efficacy as a gatekeeper may be enhanced by applying a student-targeted online program.
Objective:
This study aims to describe a research protocol to investigate the effect of a newly developed internet-delivered online peer gatekeeper training program to improve student self-efficacy as a gatekeeper among students.
Methods:
This study is a two-arm, parallel, randomized controlled trial with a 1:1 (intervention: waiting-list) allocation. Participants (N=320) will be recruited, and those who meet the inclusion criteria will be randomly allocated to the intervention or control (treatment as usual) group. Approximately 85 minutes, a six-section, internet-based gatekeeper program for students has been developed that includes videos to help participants acquire skills as a gatekeeper. The intervention group will take the program within ten days. The primary outcome, self-efficacy as a gatekeeper, is measured using the Gatekeeper Self-Efficacy Scale at baseline and immediately after taking the program and two months after the survey immediately after taking the program follow-up. To compare the primary outcomes, a student's t-test, where the significance level is 5% (two-sided), will be used to test the intervention effect on an intention-to-treat basis.
Results:
The study was at the stage of data collection at the time of submission. The data analysis related to the primary outcome will start in December 2021, and the results might be published in 2022 or 2023.
Conclusions:
This is the first study to investigate the effectiveness of an online fully automated gatekeeper training program for students to improve self-efficacy as a gatekeeper among students using a randomized controlled trial design. The study will explore the potential of an online peer gatekeeper program for students that can be disseminated online to a large number of students with minimal cost. Clinical Trial: UMIN Clinical Trials Registry (UMIN-CTR) UMIN000045325; https://upload.umin.ac.jp/cgi-open-bin/ctr/ctr_view.cgi?recptno=R000051685
Citation
Request queued. Please wait while the file is being generated. It may take some time.
Copyright
© The authors. All rights reserved. This is a privileged document currently under peer-review/community review (or an accepted/rejected manuscript). Authors have provided JMIR Publications with an exclusive license to publish this preprint on it's website for review and ahead-of-print citation purposes only. While the final peer-reviewed paper may be licensed under a cc-by license on publication, at this stage authors and publisher expressively prohibit redistribution of this draft paper other than for review purposes.