242115 Faith & Suicide: Development of Video Cases for Faith Leaders

Tuesday, November 1, 2011: 2:30 PM

Richard Goldsworthy, MSEd, PhD , Academic Edge, Inc., Bloomington, IN
Peter Honebein, PhD , Academic Edge, Inc., Bloomington, IN
David Litts, DO , Edc, Suicide Prevention Resource Center, Newton, MA
Background: 34,000 die by suicide every year in the U.S.-one person every 15 minutes-and 1.1 million additional adults may attempt suicide. Faith leaders are well-positioned to help those in distress and at-risk, yet there are no cases faith leaders can look to as models of reasonable suicide-related risk-reduction practices. This project sought to create video-based cases of faith leaders counseling congregants at increased suicide risk.

Methods: Using an established multistage user-centered instructional design process grounded in social learning theory, case descriptions were first iteratively designed by nationally respected suicide prevention experts and faith leaders then captured on video using high-performing faith leaders interacting with actors role-playing at-risk congregants. Cases include participant reflection/debriefing statements and third-party critiques.

Results: Six video cases were captured depicting 3 faith leaders in 6 situations. The videos have been well-received by experts and faith leaders and rated highly on quality, fidelity to real life situations, and usefulness. Cases are freely available online at suicideandfaith.org. Suggestions for additional cases have included increasing religious leader (e.g. religions/denominations) and situation diversity (e.g. grief counseling). Teacher/learning guides are needed. Difficulties included lack of well-established suicide prevention best practices and sheer length and richness of captured interactions.

Conclusions: Video-based cases can support addressing suicide in faith communities. Those working as or with faith leaders should consider the cases as resources to increase understanding of how faith leaders can effectively work with individuals at increased suicide risk. Additional cases, support materials, and evaluation are merited.

Funded in part by NIMH/NIH#R41MH077401

Learning Areas:
Implementation of health education strategies, interventions and programs
Public health or related education

Learning Objectives:
Participants will be able to: 1. Describe the need for and process used to generate video case studies of faith leaders counseling congregants regarding suicide 2. Describe the underlying theory, the review and formative evaluation processes and outcomes, and the content of 6 case scenarios featuring diverse faith leaders, individuals, and issues 3. Access and use for their own purposes several of the freely available cases

Keywords: Suicide, Faith Community

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I have served as principle investigator on this multiyear, multi-institutional NIH-funded effort, have 15 years experience as a lead researcher and a health instructional designer, and my areas of work have included suicide-prevention, conflict resolution, STD prevention, and others.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.