Suicide Prevention Impact Through Partnership

Resiliency Technologies celebrates measurable impact with a large healthcare provider. The Sharpen platform is being implemented to health workers, parents and to children ages 10 and up. The data analysis demonstrate enhanced healthcare professionals’ confidence and competency in suicide prevention (Rios et al, 2024).

Data were gathered through a customized Sharpen app that contains nine evidence-based courses on suicide prevention topics.  The app has been deployed to health workers since 2022. Analysis reveals significant improvements in provider confidence, reduced mental health stigma, and strong user engagement across the Sharpen digital training ecosystem (Rios et al, 2024).

Statistically Significant Confidence Improvements

Using validated scales including confidence assessments aligned with the Gatekeeper Self-Efficacy Scale framework, participants showed meaningful gains across all measured competencies, from suicide risk assessment and safety planning to crisis intervention and resource connection.

The training program had a strong positive impact across both years and was effective in improving healthcare providers' confidence. Participants experienced a significant shift from low and neutral confidence levels to high confidence, with low confidence eliminated and high confidence increasing from 48.9% to 72.3%. This indicates that after completing the program, they felt better prepared to work with individuals at risk of suicide.

With 97% of participants rating the training program as a good use of their time and 95% recommending the training to others, the program shows acceptability across diverse healthcare provider roles including social workers, nurses, case managers, and mental health professionals.

Comprehensive Resiliency Training Impact

One of the courses offered in the suicide prevention program is Sharpen's "5-Minute Mindfulness" program. This is included in order to enhance providers' confidence in leading their own mindfulness activities and because mindfulness is a known protective factor against suicide risk.  Post-training satisfaction rates were exceptional, with 90% of participants agreeing or strongly agreeing they would recommend the training to others.

Opening Minds Scale assessments (Modgill et al, 2014) revealed reduced stigmatizing attitudes toward mental illness, with scores improving from 43 (moderately stigmatizing) to 39 (less stigmatizing). This reduction in stigma is crucial for creating therapeutic environments where individuals feel safe discussing suicidal ideation.

Scalable Digital Platform Growth

The Sharpen ecosystem's three-pronged approach—professional training, parent education, and youth development—has demonstrated sustained growth and engagement.

Sharpen customized and deployed three distinct user applications for this partnership.  Between 2022 and 2025, user adoption increased significantly across all three applications which include:

-       a care provider application (for suicide prevention professional development training)

-       age differentiated peer resiliency toolkits for youths ages 10-25, and

-       parent mental health literacy toolkits

The Sharpen professional training program has issued over 200 certificates to licensed clinicians, social workers and health workers.

Strategic Implications

Sharpen's evidence-based approach addresses critical gaps in suicide prevention training through measurable skill development, stigma reduction, and scalable digital delivery. The statistically significant improvements in provider confidence, combined with elimination of low-confidence responses and exceptional user satisfaction, demonstrate the platform's effectiveness in building competent, confident suicide prevention workforces.

This partnership model, offers a replicable framework for healthcare providers nationwide seeking evidence-based suicide prevention training solutions that deliver measurable outcomes and sustained engagement. 

References Cited

Modgill, G., Patten, S.B., Knaak, S. et al. Opening Minds Stigma Scale for Health Care Providers (OMS-HC): Examination of psychometric properties and responsiveness. BMC Psychiatry 14, 120 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-244X-14-120

Rios, I., Biber, D. (2024).  Sharpen Health Care Worker app data.  Sharpen data were gathered from de-identified pre- and post- test surveys incorporating OMS-HC, and user acceptability and training feedback metrics.  Ongoing evaluation is in process, led by Ileah Rios, MPH and Duke Biber, PhD with anticipated publication of findings in 2026-2027.