Are Social Work Students Being Adequately Prepared to Intervene With Suicide?
Results of a National Survey of BSW and MSW Programs
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.18060/25991Keywords:
Suicide, Suicide prevention, social work education, BSW programs, MSW programsAbstract
Suicide is a major public health issue in the United States, but it is unknown how many social work programs have courses specializing in this topic. The purpose of this study was to establish baseline knowledge of suicide-focused course offerings in social work programs in the United States. A survey of CSWE-accredited programs (n=151) in the United States was used to collect data on social work programs’ suicide content in their curricula at three levels: baccalaureate, graduate, and continuing education. While only 6% of programs offered a required course on suicide, 13.9% offered an elective focused on suicide, and courses with substantial suicide content were available in 25.2% of programs. Continuing education offerings with a focus on suicide were present at 26.5% of programs. The implications for social work education are discussed, including the need for more courses specializing in suicide, especially within MSW programs, and for future research to better understand the factors which limit the development of such courses.
References
Almeida, J., O’Brien, K. H., Gironda, C. M., & Gross, E. B. (2017). Development, implementation, and evaluation of a comprehensive course on suicide in a Master of Social Work program. Journal of Social Work Education, 53, 727-736. https://doi.org/10.1080/10437797.2017.1302856
Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77-101. https://doi.org/10.1191/1478088706qp063oa
Bray, M. J. C., Daneshvari, N. O., Radhakrishnan, I., Cubbage, J., Eagle, M., Southall, P., & Nestadt, P. S. (2021). Racial differences in statewide suicide mortality trends in Maryland during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. JAMA Psychiatry, 78(4), 444-447. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2020.3938
Bridge, J. A., Horowitz, L. M., Fontanella, C. A., Sheftall, A. H., Greenhouse, J., Kelleher, K. J., & Campo, J. V. (2018). Age-related racial disparity in suicide rates among US youths from 2001 through 2015. JAMA Pediatrics, 172(7), 697-699. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapediatrics.2018.0399
Center for Disease Control [CDC]. (2020). Facts about suicide. https://www.cdc.gov/suicide/facts/index.html
Cerel, J., Brown, M. M., Maple, M., Singleton, M., van de Venne, J., Moore, M., & Flaherty, C. (2018). How many people are exposed to suicide? Not six. Suicide & Life-Threatening Behaviors, 49(2), 529-534. https://doi.org/10.1111/sltb.12450
Council of Social Work Education [CSWE]. (2015). Educational policy and accreditation standards. https://www.cswe.org/accreditation/standards/2015-epas/
CSWE. (2020). 2019 Annual statistics on social work education. https://cswe.org/getattachment/Research-Statistics/2019-Annual-Statistics-on-Social-Work-Education-in-the-United-States-Final-(1).pdf.aspx
CSWE. (2021). 2020 CSWE annual survey: Reference copy and instructions. https://www.cswe.org/getattachment/726b15ce-6e63-4dcd-abd1-35d2ea9d9d40/2020-Annual-Statistics-On-Social-Work-Education-in-the-United-States.pdf?lang=en-USC
Cramer, R. J., & Long, M. M. (2018). Competency-based suicide prevention education: implementation of a pilot course for undergraduate health professions students. Academic Psychiatry, 42, 857-861. http://doi.org/10.1007/s40596-018-0890-x
Feldman, B. N., & Freedenthal, S. (2006). Social work education in suicide intervention and prevention: An unmet need? Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior, 36, 467-480. https://doi.org/10.1521/suli.2006.36.4.467
Garnett, M. F., Curtin, S. C., & Stone, D. M. (2022). Suicide mortality in the United States, 2000-2020. NCHS Data Brief No. 433. https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db433.htm
Gianino, M., Ruth, B.J., & Miyake Geron, S. (2016). Social work continuing education: A statewide case study. Journal of Teaching in Social Work, 36(4), 342-362. https://doi.org/10.1080/08841233.2016.1206053
Jacobson, J. M., Osteen, P., Jones, A., & Berman, A. (2012a). Evaluation of the recognizing and responding to suicide risk training: RRSR evaluation study. Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior, 42(5), 471-485. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1943-278X.2012.00105.x
Jacobson, J. M., Osteen, P. J., Sharpe, T. L., & Pastoor, J. B. (2012b). Randomized trial of suicide gatekeeper training for social work students. Research on Social Work Practice, 22(3), 270-281. https://doi.org/10.1177/1049731511436015
Jahn, D. R., Drapeau, C.W., Wacha-Montes, A., Grant, B. L., Nadorff, M. R., Pusateri Jr, M. J., & Cukrowicz, K.C. (2017). Characteristics of and barriers to suicidology training in undergraduate and clinically-oriented graduate-level psychology. Suicidology, 8, 104-113. https://scholar.valpo.edu/ed_fac_pubs/23/
Kodaka, M., Hikitsuchi, E., Takai, M., Okada, S., Watanabe, Y., Fukushima, K., Yamada, M., Inagaki, M., Takeshima, T., & Matsumoto, T. (2018). Current implementation of and opinions and concerns regarding suicide education for social work undergraduate students in Japan: A cross-sectional study. Journal of Social Work Education, 54(1), 79-93. https://doi.org/10.1080/10437797.2017.1314837
Kourgiantakis, T., Sewell, K. M., McNeil, S., Lee, E., Logan, J., Kuehl, D., McCormick, M., Adamson, K., & Kirvan, A. (2020). Social work education and training in mental health, addictions, and suicide: A scoping review. Journal of Social Work Education, 58(1), 1-26. https://doi.org/10.1080/10437797.2020.1773363
LeCloux, M. (2021). Efficient yet effective: Improvements in suicide-related knowledge, confidence, and preparedness after the deployment of a brief online module on suicide in a required MSW course. Journal of Teaching in Social Work, 41(4), 389-407. https://doi.org/10.1080/08841233.2021.1954577
Mirick, R. G. (2019). Understanding suicide: A generalist course on suicide for BSW students. Journal of Baccalaureate Social Work, 24(1), 183-195. https://doi.org/10.18084/1084-7219.24.1.183
Mirick, R. G. (2020). Social work instructors’ attitudes, beliefs, and practices about teaching suicide content. Journal of Teaching in Social Work, 40 (5), 468-487. https://doi.org/10.1080/08841233.2020.1813235
Mirick, R. G. (2022). Teaching note: A survey of suicide content in social work programs. Journal of Social Work Education. Online Publication. https://doi.org/10.1080/10437797.2022.2119063
Mirick, R. G., Bridger, J., McCauley, J., & Berkowitz, L. (2016). Continuing education on suicide assessment and crisis intervention for social workers and other mental health professionals: A follow-up study. Journal of Teaching in Social Work, 36(4), 363-379. https://doi.org/10.1080/08841233.2016.1200171
Muehlenkamp, J. J., & Thoen, S. K. (2019). Short‐and long‐term impact of an undergraduate suicidology course. Suicide and Life‐Threatening Behavior, 49(6), 1573-1586. https://doi.org/10.1111/sltb.12552
Nedegaard, R., Quest, A. D., & Jayasundara, D. (2021). Graduate students' perceptions of suicide-specific education in an online course. Journal of Sociology and Social Work, 9(1), 11-19. https://doi.org/10.15640/jssw.v9n1a2
Osteen, P. J., Jacobson, J. M., & Sharpe, T. L. (2014). Suicide prevention in social work education: How prepared are social work students? Journal of Social Work Education, 50(2), 349-364. https://doi.org/10.1080/10437797.2014.885272
Quest, A. D., Nedegaard, R., & Koch, C. (2019). How much is enough? Suicide training for MSW students. Journal of Social Work Education and Practice, 4(3), 11-20. https://www.jswep.in/uploads/3/1/7/2/31729069/040302_suicide_training_for_msw_students.pdf
Rudd, M. D., Cukrowicz, K. C., & Bryan, C. J. (2008). Core competencies in suicide risk assessment and management: Implications for supervision. Training and Education in Professional Psychology, 2, 219-228. https://doi.org/10.1037/1931-3918.2.4.219
Ruth, B. J., Gianino, M., Muroff, J., McLaughlin, D., & Feldman, B. N. (2012). You can't recover from suicide: Perspectives on suicide education in MSW programs. Journal of Social Work Education, 48(3), 501-516. https://doi.org/10.5175/JSWE.2012.201000095
Ruth, B. J., Wachman, M. K., Marshall, J. W., Backman, A. R., Harrington, C. B., Schultz, N. S., & Ouimet, K. J. (2017). Health in all social work programs: Findings from a US national analysis. American Journal of Public Health, 107(S3), S267-S273. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2017.304034
Sanders, S., Jacobson, J. M., & Ting, L. (2008). Preparing for the inevitable: Training social workers to cope with client suicide. Journal of Teaching in Social Work, 28(1-2), 1-18. https://doi.org/10.1080/08841230802178821
Schmidt, R. C. (2016). Mental health practitioners' perceived levels of preparedness, levels of confidence and methods used in the assessment of youth suicide risk. Professional Counselor, 6(1), 76-88. https://doi.org/10.15241/rs.6.1.76
Schmitz, W. M., Allen, M. H., Feldman, B. N., Gutin, N. J., Jahn, D. R., Kleespies, P. M. Quinnett, P., & Simpson, S. (2012). Preventing suicide through improved training in suicide risk assessment and care: An American Association of Suicidology Task Force report addressing serious gaps in US mental health training. Suicide & Life-Threatening Behavior, 42(3), 292-304. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1943-278X.2012.00090.x
Scott, M. (2015). Teaching note: Understanding of suicide prevention, intervention, and postvention: Curriculum for MSW students. Journal of Social Work Education, 51, 177-185. https://doi.org/10.1080/10437797.2015.979095
Sharpe, T. L., Jacobson Frey, J., Osteen, P. J., & Bernes, S. (2014). Perspectives and appropriateness of suicide prevention gatekeeper training for MSW students. Social Work in Mental Health, 12(2), 117-131. https://doi.org/10.1080/15332985.2013.848831
Singer, J. B., & Slovak, K. (2011). School social workers’ experiences with youth suicidal behavior: An exploratory study. Children & Schools, 33(4), 215-228. https://doi.org/10.1093/cs/33.4.215
Yard, E., Radhakrishnan, L., Ballesteros, M.F., Sheppard, M., Gates, A., Stein, Z., Hartnett, K., Kite-Powell, A., Rodgers, L., Adjemian, J., Ehlman, D.C., Holland, K., Idaikkadar, N., Ivey-Stephenson, A., Martinez, P., Law, R., & Stone, D. (2021). Emergency department visits for suspected suicide attempts among persons aged 12-25 years before and during the COVID-19 pandemic-United States, January 2019-May 2021. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 70(24), 888-894. https://doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm7024e1
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2023 Rebecca G. Mirick
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
