Recruitment Procedures and Sample

We used baseline survey data collected as part of the Promoting Community Conversations About Research to End Suicide (PC CARES) initiative (see Wexler et al., 2016; 2019, or www.pc-cares.org for more information on PC CARES). These data were collected in fall 2019 from residents in five communities in rural, remote Alaska. The 20-minute electronic survey was completed on iPads and included questions about self-perceptions of suicide prevention and wellness self-efficacy, CoP, and preventative actions taken ‘within the past few months’ both for promoting general wellbeing and buffering risk at times of struggle (suicide prevention via lethal means reduction and postvention, wellness, and supportive interpersonal interactions).

Participants were recruited by posting informational flyers in high traffic areas around each community, and by word of mouth. Participants were compensated twenty dollars in cash for completing the survey. Surveys were administered over a period of 1–2 days at central locations in each village (e.g., churches, schools, tribal buildings) by a PC CARES coordinator (BLINDED) who grew up in the participating region. Across the five communities (population ranging from 193 to 975 inhabitants), 430 people filled out surveys (about 15% of the pooled population across participating villages) with more people recruited in bigger villages.