2023 Volume 26 Issue 2 Pages 228-234
[Purpose]
Preventing child suicide is an urgent issue in Japan. The actual status of the implementation of gatekeeper (GK) training for teachers in junior high schools remains unclear. Therefore, we investigated the status of school-based GK training and the awareness of the schools’ principals.
[Methods]
From a total of 9,230 public junior high schools across Japan, we randomly selected 1,300 schools. A self-administered questionnaire was mailed to the principals. In total, 399 (30.7%) questionnaires were anonymously returned with answers about the participation in suicide prevention training for teachers to prevent student suicide, awareness of GK, whether and the number of GK in-school training sessions, salient conditions for implementing GK training for teachers, and changes in the school after implementing the GK training.
[Results]
Only 16.2% of schools had implemented GK training for teachers. The planners/administrators and instructors of the training were mainly the principals, student guidance supervisors, yogo teachers, and school counselors. The most popular training method was lecture, and only 17.1% of schools included roleplaying. Few schools systematically evaluated the effects of implementing the training, although many principals believed that cooperation had improved within the school after the training. Principals in schools that implemented GK training identified the leadership of managers, motivation of faculty and staff members, and motivation of planners and operators as salient conditions for implementing GK training.
[Discussion/Conclusion]
To expand GK training to more teachers, local education boards must have planners and instructors for the training. A 1.5-hour training program must be implemented, and it should include roleplaying and self-harm by referring to the materials provided by the national government. Furthermore, the effects of the training should be repeatedly evaluated.
