TY - JOUR PY - 2022// TI - Suicide prevention training for youth care professionals JO - Tijdschrift voor Psychiatrie A1 - Meijer-Rozema, S. G. A1 - Nijhof, K. S. A1 - Bosch, A. N. A1 - Bex, N. W. K. A1 - Twisk, J. W. R. A1 - van Domburgh, L. SP - 439 EP - 444 VL - 64 IS - 7 N2 - BACKGROUND: Suicidality is common in youth care and has a major impact on young people, parents and professionals. The number of suicides among young people (10-25 years) in the Netherlands has risen in recent years from 103 suicides in 2008 to 159 suicides in 2019, with a high of 169 suicides in 2017. Many youth care professionals experience timidity in dealing with suicidal behaviour.

AIM: To investigate whether suicide prevention training leads to an improvement in knowledge, skills and self-confidence in dealing with suicidal behavior in young people.

METHOD: Professionals working at a national youth care institution participated in suicide prevention training. Before and immediately after the training they completed questionnaires to measure their knowledge, skills and self-confidence in the field of suicide prevention.

RESULTS: There was an improvement in knowledge, skills and self-confidence of youth care professionals after the training. In particular, more knowledge about suicide prevention led to more self-confidence. The change was equal in the different forms of care. Scientifically trained and higher educated professionals showed a less strong change in their competencies than secondary educated professionals. The change in knowledge and skills was less pronounced the older the professionals were.

CONCLUSION: Participation in suicide prevention training led to more knowledge, skills and self-confidence of youth care professionals in dealing with suicidal behaviour.

Language: nl

LA - nl SN - 0303-7339 UR - http://dx.doi.org/ ID - ref1 ER -