Abstract: The Naval Families Federation (NFF) conducted a survey to assist the House of Commons Defence Committee (HCDC) with Part 2 of its Mental Health and the Armed Forces Inquiry, which is into the provision of care. The survey was anonymous. It was open from 26 July to 15 August 2018. The timing of the survey period was tied to the HCDC’s inquiry, and it was therefore carried out over part of the main summer leave period, which may have affected response rates. The survey was promoted through the NFF’s social media channels, and was also promoted via the Royal Navy’s social media and internal communications channels. Respondents were a self-selecting sample. It would be reasonable to surmise that many of the respondents chose to participate because they have a particular interest in mental health or experience of accessing support. This supposition is borne out in the qualitative responses which include personal stories and experiences.
Abstract: The U.S. Army’s Ask, Care, Escort (ACE) suicide gatekeeper training has been the annual requirement for all personnel since 2009; however, this training has never been formally evaluated. The present study evaluated three updated versions of ACE: a training for Army leaders (ACE-Suicide Intervention), a training for basic combat trainees (ACE for Basic Combat Training and One Station Unit Training), and a standard training for all personnel (ACE for the Force). Self-report surveys measured pre- to posttraining changes in objective and subjective knowledge and stigma, as well as preparedness, self-efficacy, and likelihood to engage in gatekeeper behaviors. Implementation outcomes, such as training acceptability, suitability, and usability were also assessed. Across these evaluations, participants reported that knowledge and gatekeeper behaviors significantly improved from pre- to posttraining. Implementation metrics revealed a high degree of acceptability and relevance for all three ACE trainings. Overall, the findings of these evaluations suggest important changes in key suicide prevention outcomes following the ACE suite of trainings. Further longitudinal assessment is needed to establish the full effectiveness of gatekeeper interventions in the Army.