IPROC iproc Iproceedings 2369-6893 JMIR Publications Toronto, Canada v8i1e39402 10.2196/39402 Abstract Abstract Feasibility and Acceptability of Recruitment and Retention in a Remote Trial of Gatekeeper Training for Military Veterans Pagoto Sherry Teo Alan Robert MS, MD 1
HSR&D Center to Improve Veteran Involvement in Care VA Portland Health Care System 3710 SW US Veterans Hospital Rd (R&D 66) Portland, OR, 97239 United States 1 5032208262 ext 52461 teoa@ohsu.edu
2 3 https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2393-088X Call Aaron Alexander MEd 1 https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3909-8589 Hooker Elizabeth R MS, MPH 1 Fong Clarissa MS 4 Karras Elizabeth PhD 5 Dobscha Steven K MD 1 2 HSR&D Center to Improve Veteran Involvement in Care VA Portland Health Care System Portland, OR United States Department of Psychiatry Oregon Health & Science University Portland, OR United States School of Public Health Oregon Health & Science University and Portland State University Portland, OR United States OHSU Brain Institute Oregon Health & Science University Portland, OR United States Center of Excellence for Suicide Prevention Canandaigua VA Medical Center Canandaigua, NY United States Corresponding Author: Alan Robert Teo teoa@ohsu.edu Jan-Dec 2022 6 7 2022 8 1 e39402 9 5 2022 24 6 2022 ©Alan Robert Teo, Aaron Alexander Call, Elizabeth R Hooker, Clarissa Fong, Elizabeth Karras, Steven K Dobscha. Originally published in Iproceedings (https://www.iproc.org), 06.07.2022. 2022

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 Background

SAVE (Signs; Ask; Validate; Encourage) is a brief gatekeeper training designed to teach lay individuals how to identify and assist military veterans at risk for suicide. SAVE can be delivered asynchronously using a web-based video format, but no studies of the effectiveness of SAVE exist.

 Objective

The aim of this project was to determine the feasibility and acceptability of recruitment and retention in a remote trial of SAVE.

 Methods

We conducted a social media campaign using sponsored Facebook posts (ads) to recruit veterans, including those outside the Veterans Affairs network of care, and their loved ones. Participants (N=214) were randomized to SAVE or a sham video training unrelated to suicide prevention and followed for 6 months. We also conducted qualitative interviews with a subgroup (n=15) and used a mixed methods framework to integrate findings.

 Results

At baseline, most participants were a family member or friend of a veteran (146/214, 68.2%), and 47.7% (102/214) knew at least one veteran or service member who had died by suicide. Across both study arms, 73.8% (158/214) responded to at least 3 of 6 follow-up surveys and 72.4% (155/214) completed follow-up at 6 months. Themes from interviews indicated the following three barriers to study participation: generic posts, copy (ad text) referring to “research,” and Facebook as a platform. There were 5 facilitators to participation: audience segmentation focused on veterans’ family members and friends, an urgent call to action to help a veteran, prior exposure to suicide, emphasizing the benefits of receiving training, and using a university as the campaign messenger.

 Conclusions

A social media campaign was a feasible and acceptable approach to recruiting and retaining participants—especially the loved ones of veterans with prior exposure to suicide—for a fully remote trial of SAVE gatekeeper training. Several campaign strategies may be applied to further promote remote study participation in this population.

 Trial Registration

ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04565951; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04565951

 Conflicts of Interest

None declared.

 suicide social media virtual pilot veterans caregiver