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Suicide is a global health challenge. One prevention strategy is teaching individuals how to detect and respond to suicidality. These training have increasingly been delivered online. We searched WoS, Scopus, and PubMed from inception until the 20 September 2023 to evaluate e-learning efficacy as standardized mean changes and standardized mean differences. We synthesized main results using multilevel meta-analyses and subgroups using random-effects meta-analyses. Robins-I, RoB-II and trim-and-fill were used to assess the risk of bias. Of the 6516 initially screened articles, 26 were included. Overall, e-learning increased suicide prevention skills. Subgroups reported differing results: e-learning affected knowledge and self-efficacy more than behavior and attitudes. Efficacy, short duration, and low-cost suggest that e-learning may be feasible in teaching basic suicide prevention skills to lay people. However, current evidence suggests that health care professionals should not rely on e-learning as a training modality, except when no other form of training is available. Preregisteration: CRD42020218978.

Apart from alcohol, various other substances with a psychotropic effect have been discussed recently in relation to their association with road traffic safety. There has been a general lack of hard facts, however, on how much drug use and abuse influence this. In the absence of data on the frequency of such effects, a representative random sample (approx. 8000 persons) of the Austrian population was interviewed and questioned on their drug intake. A smaller sample (2007 persons) was also questioned as to their behaviour regarding road traffic participation. The results showed that those drugs taken most frequently belong to the 'analgesic' group, whilst the frequency in use of substances to which greater importance is attached currently regarding road safety is relatively low (tranquillizers by 4%; strictly 'psychotropic' drugs by 0.3% to 0.6% of the population). These findings are similar to those reported in English-speaking countries. Data analysis showed that socio-cultural factors (age, sex, marital status and profession) influence the frequency and type of drug intake. The definition of drug abuse and addiction used (increase of dosage, inappropriate use, effect changes) proved somewhat unreliable and called into question the criteria used for diagnosis and categorization of persons at risk. In view of the results of previous studies and the importance attached by critics, an unexpected finding of this survey was the minor influence exerted by tranquillizers on road traffic safety. However, the number of cases for individual drug classes was relatively small and there is a need for more broadly based studies of a similar design before reaching firm conclusions.