Oral Presentation National Suicide Prevention Conference 2026

Impact of Engaging Men in Crisis Support training on Crisis Supporter confidence, skills, and self-efficacy (131182)

Tara Hunt 1 , Jane Pirkis 2 , Justine Fletcher 2 , Katherine Trail 3 4 , Kieran O'Gorman 3 4 , Satish Shrestha 1 , Zac Seidler 3 4 , Anna Brooks 1 , Andrew Mackinnon 5 , John Oliffe 6 7 , Cathy Mihalopoulos 8 , Long Le 8 , Simon Rice 3 4
  1. Lifeline Australia, Sydney, NSW, Australia
  2. Melbourne School of Population and Global Health., University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
  3. Centre for Youth Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC , Australia
  4. Orygen, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
  5. Centre for Mental Health and Community Wellbeing, University of Melbourne, Melbourne , VIC, Australia
  6. School of Nursing, University of British Columbia , Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
  7. School of Nursing , The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
  8. Division of Health Economics, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia

Background
Men account for about 75% of suicide deaths in Australia yet are less likely than women to access mental health services. This pattern is also evident in crisis helplines, where only 40% of callers to Lifeline, Australia’s crisis support line, are male. Telephone crisis lines provide immediate, accessible, and anonymous support, but men’s underrepresentation highlights the need for approaches that better support their engagement. Research suggests men may be more likely to seek and benefit from help when it is gender-sensitive, strengths-based, and action-oriented, with an emphasis on collaboration and transparency. Evidence also shows that crisis supporters (CSs) may rely on assumptions based on inferred gender, which can shape their responses . To address this, Lifeline Australia and the University of Melbourne, in consultation with lived experience, crisis support, and men’s mental health experts, developed a professional development module to strengthen CSs’ confidence, skills, and self-efficacy in engaging male callers.

Aim
This study assessed the impact of the Engaging Men in Crisis Support module on CSs’ skills, confidence, and self-efficacy when supporting male callers. We hypothesised that CSs completing the training would report greater improvements in clinical skills, confidence, and self-efficacy than those in the control group.

Method
This presentation will report on Phase 1 of a two-stage, double-randomised RCT. CSs were allocated 1:1 to the intervention (Engaging Men in Crisis Support) or control (Child Safety and Crisis Support) module, stratified by gender (male; female/non-binary). Modules were completed within 4 weeks. Data were collected at three time points: pre-training, post-training, and 2-week follow-up. Outcomes were assessed using the Clinical Skills and Professional Self-Doubt subscales of the Development of Psychotherapists Common Core Questionnaire (DPCCQ), the Session Management subscale of the Counsellor Activities Self-Efficacy Scale (CASES), and adapted confidence items.

Results and discussion
Seventy-six CSs were recruited across three rounds (December 2023, April 2024, and February 2025). Analysis of the RCT data is currently underway, and results will be reported in the presentation. The implications of the findings will be considered in terms of what they mean for Lifeline and, more generally, for other telephone crisis lines. Consideration will be given to how any benefits of the training for CSs might flow on to male callers.