BACKGROUND: This study was conducted to identify the minimum knowledge and skills required for suicide prevention gatekeepers (GK) with the aim of developing a simple index to assess GK knowledge and skills.
Methods: We developed the "Suicide Prevention Gatekeeper Knowledge and Skills Assessment Scale (GKS)" to evaluate the minimum knowledge and skills required for GK, which were extracted from the "Gatekeeper Training Textbook" using the Delphi method. To examine the reliability and validity of the GKS, a questionnaire survey was conducted before and after GK training using the GKS, the Japanese Version of the Literacy of Suicide Scale, and the Gatekeeper Self-Efficacy Scale (GKSES).
Results: A total of 109 training attendees completed the questionnaire. There was a significant moderate positive correlation between GKS skill scores and GKSES scores. Mean GKS scores were significantly higher after training than before training. A significant strong positive intraclass correlation was observed between GKS scores immediately and one week after training.
Discussion: We identified the minimum knowledge and skills required for GK and developed an assessment scale, which was confirmed to be a reliable and valid measure of GK knowledge and skills.