GATEKEEPERS AS AN IMPORTANT COMPONENT OF SUICIDE PREVENTION IN UKRAINE

Abstract

The relevance of this article is due to the fact that suicide remains one of the leading causes of death at a young age. Suicide is not only a medical or psychological problem, it is a problem of modern society. The causes of such a complex phenomenon as suicide include social, economic, psychological and social risk factors. Suicide prevention is an important task, the implementation of which is possible with the effective interaction of different sections of society and the dissemination of the necessary information.Improving mental health literacy, training gatekeepers, and developing skills to better recognize and support vulnerable people is an important part of suicide prevention.Gatekeeper training for suicide prevention is teaching non-professionals and professional gatekeepers about the warning signs of a suicide crisis and how to respond, debunking the myths and stigmas about suicide. There are many negative prejudices, stigmas and myths about suicide in our society. Overcoming such prejudices, stigmas and myths is an important part of training gatekeepers. The gatekeeper must recognize and refer a person with signs of a suicidal crisis to other people or professionals (parents, friends, neighbors, psychologists, police officers, etc.). The gatekeeper performs actions according to the algorithm, which consists of 6 steps: 1 – ask, 2 – listen, 3 – provide security, 4 – be there, 5 – help establish communication (redirect), 6 – track. It is also important for gatekeepers to take care of themselves and their emotional state in order to continue to successfully perform their tasks.