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Effect of Mental Health Gatekeeper Training on Suicide Risk Recognition among University Staff in Nigeria

Abstract

Suicide remains an important public health concern and universities provide a critical environment for early identification and support of individuals experiencing psychological distress. University staff, including academic staff, administrative personnel, student affairs officers, hostel supervisors, counsellors, security personnel, and other employees who interact regularly with students, may be among the first individuals to observe behavioural, emotional, or social changes associated with suicide risk. However, limited knowledge of suicide warning signs, misconceptions about suicide, stigma, uncertainty regarding appropriate responses, and inadequate awareness of referral pathways may reduce staff members' ability to recognize suicide risk and facilitate timely intervention. Mental health gatekeeper training provides an opportunity to equip university staff with knowledge and practical skills for identifying warning signs, recognizing risk factors, initiating supportive conversations, responding appropriately, and connecting at-risk individuals with professional mental health services. Against this background, this study investigates the effect of mental health gatekeeper training on suicide risk recognition among university staff in Nigeria. The study will be anchored on Social Cognitive Theory, the Health Belief Model, and the Theory of Planned Behavior. Social Cognitive Theory emphasizes the roles of knowledge, observational learning, self-efficacy, behavioural skills, and supportive institutional environments in developing effective gatekeeper competencies. The Health Belief Model explains how staff members' perceptions of suicide risk, perceived seriousness, perceived benefits of gatekeeper training, perceived barriers, and cues to action may influence suicide risk recognition. The Theory of Planned Behavior explains how attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behavioural control, and behavioural intentions may influence staff members' willingness to identify and respond appropriately to individuals at risk of suicide. Collectively, these theoretical perspectives provide a suitable framework for explaining how mental health gatekeeper training may influence suicide risk recognition among university staff in Nigeria. The study will adopt a quantitative quasi-experimental research design. The study population will comprise academic and non-academic staff working in selected public and private universities across Nigeria. A multistage sampling technique will be used to select states, universities, faculties, departments, administrative units, and eligible staff members who interact regularly with students. Mental health gatekeeper training will be measured using indicators such as exposure to structured training sessions, frequency and duration of training, knowledge of suicide risk factors, recognition of behavioural and emotional warning signs, communication skills, supportive listening, crisis response procedures, confidentiality, referral pathways, awareness of counselling services, emergency response procedures, and follow-up practices. Suicide risk recognition will be assessed using indicators such as identification of verbal and behavioural warning signs, recognition of emotional distress, identification of risk factors, recognition of changes in mood and behaviour, ability to identify situations requiring immediate intervention, awareness of protective factors, appropriate interpretation of case scenarios, and knowledge of referral and emergency procedures. Data will be collected using structured questionnaires, case-based scenarios, skills assessments, and validated suicide risk recognition instruments administered before and after the training intervention. Descriptive statistics will be used to summarize participants' demographic and occupational characteristics, previous mental health training, and suicide risk recognition levels. Inferential statistical techniques, including paired sample tests, independent sample tests, chi-square tests, correlation analysis, and multiple regression analysis where appropriate, will be used to determine the effect of mental health gatekeeper training on suicide risk recognition. Diagnostic tests will also be conducted to assess the reliability, validity, and robustness of the findings. The study is expected to find that mental health gatekeeper training has a significant positive effect on suicide risk recognition among university staff in Nigeria. Staff members exposed to structured gatekeeper training are expected to demonstrate improved ability to identify warning signs, recognize risk factors, interpret behavioural changes, distinguish situations requiring urgent intervention, and facilitate timely referral compared with their baseline recognition skills or staff members without similar training. Practical approaches involving case discussions, role-play, communication exercises, and referral simulations may strengthen staff members' confidence and ability to recognize suicide risk. Improved recognition may facilitate earlier intervention and strengthen collaboration between university staff, counselling centres, and healthcare services. However, stigma, discomfort discussing suicide, limited counselling resources, uncertainty regarding staff responsibilities, confidentiality concerns, workload pressures, and inadequate institutional support may restrict the application and sustainability of gatekeeper knowledge. The study therefore expects accessible, evidence-based, culturally appropriate, and regularly reinforced mental health gatekeeper training to contribute significantly to improved suicide risk recognition among university staff in Nigeria. The study is expected to contribute to the literature on mental health gatekeeper training, suicide risk recognition, university staff, suicide prevention, mental health literacy, early identification, student mental health, crisis intervention, health education, and public health in Nigeria. The findings will provide useful information to the National Universities Commission, Federal Ministry of Education, Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, university administrators, counselling centres, university health services, psychologists, psychiatrists, counsellors, social workers, staff development units, development partners, and policymakers regarding strategies for strengthening suicide prevention capacity within universities. The study will also provide evidence-based recommendations for integrating gatekeeper training into university staff development programmes, strengthening counselling and referral systems, improving staff awareness of available mental health resources, establishing clear emergency response protocols, reducing stigma surrounding suicide and mental health, and developing sustainable suicide prevention programmes across universities in Nigeria.

Keywords: Mental health gatekeeper training, suicide risk recognition, university staff, suicide prevention, mental health literacy, gatekeeper intervention, crisis intervention, student mental health, health education, university counselling services, Nigeria, public health.