Effect of Psychiatric Intervention in Attempted Suicide: A Controlled Study

44 untreated patients were compared with 160 patients who had received either brief (1 or 2 interviews) or more prolonged psychiatric & social help. Subsequent suicide attempts occurred significantly more often among untreated than among treated patients, prolonged treatment being associated with the best prognosis. These findings held good when the untreated & treated groups were controlled for other variables which were found to be correlated with outcome.