Research & Evaluation
As part of our commitment to a standard of excellence, LivingWorks Education encourages the rigorous scientific evaluation of our programs. Results have consistently shown that LivingWorks programs increase participants’ knowledge, skills, and confidence, while a major study recently demonstrated that they also contribute to improved outcomes for those at risk of suicide.
This page provides a partial list of original research and research reviews of LivingWorks programs. More studies will be added as they become available. If you are interested in additional evaluation information or are considering carrying out an evaluation of your own, please contact us.
Impact of Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training on the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (2013)
This study demonstrated that callers to crisis line counselors trained in ASIST were statistically less suicidal, less depressed, less overwhelmed and more hopeful than callers to crisis line counselors who were trained in a method other than ASIST. The lead author was Dr. Madelyn Gould of Columbia University. The study was published in Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior, the official Journal of the American Association of Suicidology. We have also produced a detailed PDF handout outlining the major points of the study and what it said about the ASIST program.
Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training: Trainee Experiences, Recommendations, and Post-Training Behavior (2010)
Co-authored the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and ICF/MACRO, this qualitative study of ASIST training participants found increased self-efficacy, heightened awareness, improved communication skills, sharing information with others; and, interventions.
The Use and Impact of Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST) in Scotland: An Evaluation (2008)
This Scottish evaluation of ASIST found increased knowledge, attitudes, skills and interventions in ASIST-trained caregivers in addition to broad reductions stigma and increased suicide prevention awareness within communities and organizations.
Making it Safer: A Health Centre’s Strategy for Suicide Prevention (2007)
This study by Nora McAuliffe and Lynda Perry demonstrated that ASIST training in a large community hospital contributed to improved clinical outcomes for consumers. Outcomes included an increase in identification of those at risk for suicide but a reduction in hospital admissions for that same group.
Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training: Evidence in Support of the ASIST 11 Program (2013)
This review provides evidence in support of the rationale, content, teaching and learning processes of ASIST training, particularly as it applies to the newest edition, ASIST 11.
Review of the Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training Program (ASIST): Rationale, Evaluation Results, and Directions for Future Research (2010)
This review compiles results from 20 evaluations of ASIST from 5 different countries. The review found that ASIST training consistently increased knowledge, attitudes, and skills of participants.