Oral Presentation National Suicide Prevention Conference 2026

Engaging men in crisis support: Results of a world-first Randomised Controlled Trial (131177)

Jane Pirkis 1 , Katherine Trail 2 3 , Kieran O'Gorman 2 3 , Tara Hunt 4 , Satish Shrestha 4 , Zac Seidler 2 3 , Anna Brooks 4 , Justine Fletcher 1 , Andrew Mackinnon 1 , John Oliffe 5 6 , Cathy Mihalopoulos 7 , Long Le 7 , Simon Rice 2 3
  1. Melbourne School of Population and Global Health., University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
  2. Centre for Youth Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC , Australia
  3. Orygen, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
  4. Lifeline Australia, Sydney, NSW, Australia
  5. School of Nursing, University of British Columbia , Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
  6. School of Nursing , The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
  7. Division of Health Economics, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia

Background

Telephone crisis helplines are an important component of Australia’s suicide prevention system, providing accessible, immediate, and anonymous support. Lifeline is Australia’s largest telephone crisis helpline. Men are under-represented among callers to Lifeline, accounting for only two fifths of calls. This is despite the fact that three quarters of all suicides are by males. Given the disproportionate rate of male suicides, and the potential for crisis lines to provide effective suicide intervention, it is critical to maximise the positive impact of these services for male callers.

Aim

This trial assessed the impact of an Engaging Men in Crisis Support professional development module—developed with lived experience, crisis support, and men’s mental health experts—on male callers’ outcomes at Lifeline. We hypothesised that male callers supported by Crisis Supporters (CSs) who had completed the training would report lower levels of distress and suicidality, and higher levels of feeling heard at call completion, compared with those supported by CSs who had received standard training.

Method

We randomised 76 CSs to either the intervention group (Engaging Men in Crisis Support module) or control group (Child Safety and Crisis Support module), stratified by CS gender. Subsequently, ~2000 callers to Lifeline were randomised based on CS availability to receive support from intervention or control CSs. Eligible callers provided opt-in consent by completing post-call evaluation items. The primary outcome was self-reported distress; secondary outcomes were suicidality and perceived sense of being heard. Callers, CSs, and the study team were blinded to the allocation of CSs to training and to the allocation of callers to CSs; only the statistician and research manager were unblinded.

Results and Discussion

Data collection commenced in May 2024 and will conclude in December 2025. Analyses of the primary and secondary outcomes will not begin until data collection is complete. The findings will be reported in this presentation and will provide world-first RCT evidence on training designed to enhance crisis line engagement with men, advancing best practice in suicide prevention and contributing methodological insights into conducting RCTs in helpline settings.