Self-harm by nurses and midwives: A study of hospital presentations

Background: Nursing professionals are an occupational group at increased risk of suicide, but little is known about self-harm in this population. Aims: To investigate the characteristics of nurses and midwives who present to hospital following self-harm. Method: We used data from the Oxford Monitoring System for Self-Harm to identify nurses and midwives who presented to the general hospital […]

Patterns of follow-up mental health care after hospitalization for suicide-related behaviors among older adults in South Korea

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the sociodemographic and clinical factors associated with receiving follow-up mental healthcare within 7 days and 30 days after hospitalization for suicide-related behaviors (SRB) among  older adults in South Korea. Methods: Data from the Korean National Health Information Database were used, including information on sociodemographic variables and healthcare utilization. The […]

Emergency care follow-up for children and adolescents with suicide attempts or ideation

Because 10% to 15% of the people seen in hospital emergency departments for a suicide attempt will repeat the attempt within 12 months following their discharge, it is important to identify what interventions are effective for preventing further self-harm during this time.

Bridging the gap: A qualitative study of providers’ perceptions of a partnered crisis follow‑up program for suicidal patients post‑emergency department discharge

Background Effective interventions are needed to address suicide risk following discharge from the hospital emergency department or inpatient setting. Studies that examine follow-up contact methods show promise, but little is known about how follow-up programs are implemented in the real world and who is benefitting. The purpose of this formative evaluation and analysis was to […]

Modelling the cost-effectiveness of brief aftercare interventions following hospital-treated self-harm

Background: Prior self-harm represents the most significant risk factor for future self-harm or suicide. Aim: To evaluate the cost-effectiveness of a theoretical brief aftercare intervention (involving brief follow-up contact, care coordination and safety planning), following a hospital-treated self-harm episode, for reducing repeated self-harm within the Australian context. Method: We employed economic modelling techniques to undertake: […]

The interaction effect between low income and severe illness on the risk of death by suicide after self-harm

Background: Previous Western studies have reported that the prevalence of death by suicide within 1 year after self-harm was 0.5-2%; however, no studies have focused on the Far East. Aims: To calculate the prevalence of death by suicide after self-harm over different lengths of follow-up time and to determine the predictors of death by suicide after self-harm. […]

Can postdischarge follow-up contacts prevent suicide and suicidal behavior? A review of the evidence

Background: The time period following discharge from inpatient psychiatry and emergency department (ED) treatment is one of heightened risk for repeat suicide attempts for patients. Evidence reported in the literature shows that follow-up contacts might reduce suicide risk, although there has not been a comprehensive and critical review of the evidence to date. Aims: To evaluate evidence […]

Caring letters project: A military suicide-prevention pilot program

Background: The Caring Letters Project (CLP) is a suicide prevention program that involves sending brief caring letters to discharged inpatients following psychiatric hospitalization. Several studies suggest that repeatedly sending caring messages may reduce suicides and suicide attempts in high-risk populations. Aims: The aims of this study were to (1) evaluate feasibility of use in the military setting, […]

Reassessment of suicide attempters at home, shortly after discharge from hospital

Background: Assessment of suicide attempters in a general hospital may be influenced by the condition of the patient and the unfavorable circumstances of the hospital environment. Aims: To determine whether the results of a reassessment at home shortly after discharge from hospital differ from the initial assessment in the hospital. Methods: In this prospective study, systematic assessment of […]

Brief contact interventions to reduce suicide among discharged patients with mental health disordeArs: meta-analysis of RCTs

Background Worldwide, about 1 million died from suicide in 2000. People with mental health disorders are at greater risk of suicide, and they are especially susceptible during 1-week period after discharge from the hospital. Objective This meta-analysis paper aims to evaluate the effectiveness of brief contact interventions in preventing (1) suicidal deaths, (2) suicidal attempts, and […]

Established outpatient care and follow-up after acute psychiatric service use among youths and young adults

Objective: This study explored follow-up after hospitalization and emergency room (ER) use for mental health among youths and young adults with private insurance. Methods: The IBM MarketScan commercial database (2013-2018) was used to identify people ages 12-27 with a mental health hospitalization (N=95,153) or ER use (N=108,576). Factors associated with outpatient mental health follow-up within 7 and […]

Loss to follow-up in a population-wide brief contact intervention to prevent suicide attempts: The VigilanS program, France

Background Brief Contact Interventions (BCIs) after a suicide attempt (SA) are an important element of prevention against SA and suicide. VigilanS generalizes to a whole French region a BCI combining resource cards, telephone calls and sending postcards, according to a predefined algorithm. However, a major obstacle to such real-life intervention is the loss of contact […]

Suicide attempt aftercare in geriatric patients: A pilot project

Hospitalized patients after suicide attempts gave informed consent to a postvention project after discharge. A continuous caregiver contacted the subjects monthly by phone for a period of 1 year. In case of significant worsening and reoccurrence of suicidal ideations, immediate re-admission was possible. Ten subjects 65 years and older and hospitalized because of suicide attempts were […]

Aftercare and suicide reattempt prevention in Tehran, Iran: Outcome of 12-month randomized controlled study

Background: A previous suicide attempt is one of the strongest risk factors for subsequent suicide. Effective care following a suicide attempt may reduce the risk of suicide reattempts. Aims: We aimed to investigate the effect of a brief educational intervention and contact program on suicide reattempts. Method: This study was performed as a randomized clinical trial (RCT) recruiting 305 individuals who […]

Association of suicide prevention interventions with subsequent suicide attempts, linkage to follow-up care, and depression symptoms for acute care settings: A systematic review and meta-analysis

IMPORTANCE To prevent suicide deaths, acute care settings need tools to ensure individuals at risk of suicide access mental health care and remain safe until they do so. OBJECTIVE To examine the association of brief acute care suicide prevention interventions with patients’ subsequent suicide attempts, linkage to follow-up care, and depression symptoms at follow-up. DATASOURCES […]

Implementing an emergency department telephone follow-up program for suicidal patients: Successes and challenges

Background Many emergency department (ED) patients are at risk of suicide, and the ED is a key setting for suicide prevention. Although ED interventions are associated with reduced suicide attempts and societal costs, most EDs do not have follow-up programs. This pilot investigated the feasibility and implementation process of a statewide program. Methods This multicenter […]

Experience of health care services after a suicide attempt: Results from an online survey

Failure to provide follow‐up care after a suicide attempt is associated with increased risk of reattempt. This online survey examined the experiences of patients of the Australian health system after a suicide attempt. Just over half of the participants had a psychiatric assessment within 1 week of their attempt. Fewer than half believed they had been […]

Effectiveness of assertive case management on repeat self-harm in patients admitted for suicide attempt: Findings from ACTION-J study.

Highlights • The assertive case management reduced the incident rate of repeat overall self-harm Reduction was greater among patients with no previous suicide attempt at baseline. The intervention group had fairly good adherence to the assertive case management.

Suicide prevention and follow-up services: A narrative review.

Previous suicide attempt is the most important predictor of death by suicide. Thus preventive interventions after attempting to suicide is essential to prevent reattempts. This paper attempts to determine whether phone preventive interventions or other vehicles (postal cards, email and case management) are effective in reattempt prevention and health promotion after discharge by providing an […]

Postcards in Persia: A twelve to twenty-four month follow-up of a randomized controlled trial for hospital-treated deliberate self-poisoning.

This study reports the outcomes, during follow-up, of a low-cost postcard intervention in a Randomized Control Trial of hospital-treated self-poisoning (n = 2300). The intervention was 9 postcards over 12 months (plus usual treatment) versus usual treatment. Three binary endpoints at 12–24 months (n = 2001) were: any suicidal ideation, suicide attempt, or self-cutting. There was a significant reduction […]

Can postdischarge follow-up contacts prevent suicide and suicidal behavior? A review of the evidence.

The time period following discharge from inpatient psychiatry and emergency department (ED) treatment is one of heightened risk for repeat suicide attempts for patients. Evidence reported in the literature shows that follow-up contacts might reduce suicide risk, although there has not been a comprehensive and critical review of the evidence to date. Repeated follow-up contacts […]

The return on investment of postdischarge follow-up calls for suicidal ideation or deliberate self-harm.

Transitions of care are critical for individuals at risk of suicide. This study determined the return on investment (ROI) for providing postdischarge follow-up calls to patients at risk of suicide who are discharged from a hospital or an emergency department. The study supports the business case for payers, particularly Medicaid, to invest in postdischarge follow-up […]

Safety Planning Intervention: A brief intervention to mitigate suicide risk.

The usual care for suicidal patients who are seen in the emergency department (ED) and other emergency settings is to assess level of risk and refer to the appropriate level of care. Brief psychosocial interventions such as those administered to promote lower alcohol intake or to reduce domestic violence in the ED are not typically […]