MSW Student and Alumni Perspectives on Suicide Prevention Training: Results of a Qualitative Inquiry

In response to the enormous public health problem of suicide, the Surgeon General's call to action in 1999 outlined a coordinated strategy that includes training on suicide prevention for all mental health professionals.

Social workers are now the leading providers of mental health services in the country, and yet little is known regarding their training on suicide prevention and intervention (SPI). One recent survey indicates that most social workers view their training as inadequate (Feldman and Freedenthal, 2006).

In mid-2007, a Northeastern school of social work with an urban mission undertook a comprehensive assessment of SPI curriculum content and training. In the absence of social work scientific literature on SPI, a qualitative focus group inquiry model was used with MSW students and MSW/MPH alumni. Group members were recruited by email from the school's listservs and enrolled on a first come/first serve basis. The groups were facilitated by trained MSW/MPH students with questions focusing on experiences with SPI in social work education and practice. Tapes were transcribed and then analyzed using traditional qualitative methods.

Preliminary analyses of student data reveal an absence of training in SPI in the MSW program, a strong felt need for comprehensive training and a high degree of contact with suicidal clients. Alumni identified systems-level barriers that impede access and prevention and a need for differential population-based SPI training. Additional groups with other constituencies are ongoing; findings from these groups will be included and implications for future research and curriculum and policy changes will be discussed.