Suicide Response Preparedness in Counseling Students: A Study of Knowledge, Attitudes, and Simulated Behavior

Authors

Breanna P. Banks, Centerstone Research InstituteFollow
Joel F. Diambra, The University of Tennessee - KnoxvilleFollow

Document Type

Empirical Research Article

Keywords

suicide response, counselor education, knowledge, attitudes, simulated behavior

Subject Area

Counselor Education

Abstract

Counselors-in-training are likely to encounter a suicidal client even before completing their education. Student counselors not trained in these practices are at risk for not identifying and adequately managing suicide risk. This study explores and describes counseling students’ knowledge about suicide, attitudes about suicide and suicide response, and simulated suicide response behavior; and to identify to what extent counseling students’ knowledge and attitudes about suicide and suicide response relate to and predict simulated suicide response behavior. Outcomes from this study suggest that these three constructs are related to one another; however, these relationships should be interpreted with caution. Only declarative knowledge about suicide and a moderating effect of declarative knowledge and attitudes significantly predicted suicide response behavior scores.

Recommended Citation

Banks, B. P., & Diambra, J. F. (2019). Suicide Response Preparedness in Counseling Students: A Study of Knowledge, Attitudes, and Simulated Behavior. Journal of Counselor Preparation and Supervision, 12(1). Retrieved from https://research.library.kutztown.edu/jcps/vol12/iss1/3