The overall objective of this training tool is to increase understanding and identification of pre-suicide behaviours at train stations for station staff. This, in turn, should increase the likelihood of station staff being able to practice active prevention of suicide through interaction with someone that may be showing pre‑suicide behaviours. Outline: It is envisioned that the training course will be structured as follows: 1. Introduction The aims of the training will be presented to the participants, including the specific learning outcomes that the training is intended to provide. During the introduction session the trainer(s) will ensure that the participants are made aware of the potential risks associated with the training (triggering post-traumatic stress/ potential for motion sickness associated with use of the VR) Participants will be informed that they can request the training be paused or terminated at any time if they wish. Participants will be asked to read and sign an informed consent form before the VR element of the training commences. 2. How to use the VR technology A facilitator will demonstrate how to use the controllers to navigate the VR environment and interact with the avatars. They will then set up the participant with the headset, ensuring it is comfortable and the audible aspects of the VR can be heard. Once the participant is comfortable and ready, the VR aspect of the training will begin. 3. Interaction with the VR environment Participants will navigate through the VR station environment using the controllers. Participants will need to observe each avatar on the platform and determine whether the avatar is either “low risk” or “high risk” of suicide based on the behaviours they observe. Where a participant identifies an avatar as “high risk” they will need to select, from an itemised list, which observed behaviours led them to believe the avatar was “high risk”. Participants are expected to perform this interaction with each avatar within the scene before ending the session. 4. Review of session Once the participant has interacted with every avatar, the VR session will end. A summary page will be presented that details their responses and results. The facilitator will talk the participant through their results, with the aim of discussing what the participant considered important behaviours or identifiers for potential suicide risk factors, and what they may have missed or overlooked. Participants will also be debriefed and reminded of the available support, should they require it following the training session. For instance, details of the Employee Assistance Program. At this point, the training tool is at the pilot stage. It is intended that the tool will be incorporated into a broader training course to be delivered to station staff. This may encompass initial training on potential behaviours or risk factors to be aware of, and how to interact with someone who may be considering suicide, including how to physically approach them and how to speak to them. Ergonomie will be working closely with rail operators to further develop the training tool. Brief Summary: The VR training tool requires participants to move around a train station platform and observe/ interact with avatars (passengers). There are 20 avatars on the platform, several of which are displaying commonly found pre-suicide behaviours. Participants must interact with each avatar and identify them as either “high risk” or “low risk” of suicide. The requirement to identify each avatar promotes the behaviour of scanning all people on a platform and maintaining situational awareness.
When an avatar is identified as “high risk” the participant must select, from an itemised list, which behaviours were observed to make the decision that the avatar is “high risk”. Once the participant has interacted with each avatar, the VR element of the training will end and a summary page will appear. The summary will show how many avatars the participant identified as “high risk”, how many of those were correct (i.e. programmed with commonly found pre-suicide behaviours), and which behaviours the participant selected when perceiving the avatar as “high risk”.
The facilitator and the participant can then discuss why they selected particular avatars, and/or behaviours.
