Grant: Project Grant

The issue: Sexual and gender minorities (SGM)¬-including lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and Two-Spirit individuals-experience elevated rates of suicide-related outcomes (i.e., suicide thoughts, plans, and attempts). Despite this high burden of distress, suicide prevention interventions tailored to SGM are scarce, particularly in Canada. Our idea: We will conduct research to inform the development of an online suicide prevention training (gatekeeper training) for SGM that will then be piloted and evaluated. Our approach: Our 5-year study includes 4 phases: Phase 1: To inform the development of a suicide prevention training for SGM we will a) conduct a systematic review to describe successful strategies for online suicide prevention trainings, b) interview 90 SGM individuals who have provided or received peer support in the context of suicide to understand their needs and desires in terms of an online suicide prevention training, and c) interview 30 suicide prevention and SGM health experts to identify the key components of a SGM specific suicide training. Phase 2: We will integrate the knowledge and insights gained in phase 1 to design, with stakeholders and potential users, an online suicide prevention training specific to SGM. Phase 3: We will pilot the training and use a pre-post design to evaluate the training outcomes. Focus groups will also be conducted to evaluate the satisfaction of those taking the training. Phase 4: we will disseminate and mobilize our results widely to stimulate the promotion of suicide prevention with SGM. IMPACT: Our novel study among SGM is urgent considering the high rates of suicidality among SGM. Our design to inform the development of the intervention is comprehensive and will offer a solid foundation to build an evidence-based training while simultaneously stimulating the development of additional interventions.