Year: 2022 Source: Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior. (2022), 52(6), 1074-1095. https://doi.org/10.1111/sltb.12903 SIEC No: 20221095
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 (3) suicidal ideations among mental health patients discharged from the hospital. Methods Search for published and unpublished articles were conducted using 10 databases: CINAHL, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Embase, Scopus, Pubmed, PsycINFO, Web of Science, Randomised Control Trial Registry Website, ClinicalTrials.gov, and Proquest Dissertation and Theses Global, using the keywords “suicide” AND “discharged,” AND “patients.” All articles printed in English and published from the year 1995 to August 2019 were included. Results A total of 23 articles were included in the meta-analysis. Contact interventions significantly reduced suicidal attempts within (1) 12–14 months and (2) suicide ideations within 12 months. There were no significant findings on suicidal deaths. Discussion A new finding of this meta-analysis is that combining several brief contact interventions could potentially reduce suicidal attempts and ideations. This is important in preserving the lives of discharged patients.