Post-Crisis Suicide Prevention Without Therapy: a Randomized Controlled Trial

This study tested the hypothesis that long-term contact exerts a suicide prevention influence on high-risk persons who refuse treatment. 843 persons at risk for suicide who refused treatment were randomly divided into a “contact” group & a “no-contact” group. All deaths during the 5-year contact period & the subsequent 10 years were identified & compared. Contact subjects had a lower suicide rate in all 5 contact years. After contact ceased, suicide rates in the 2 groups converged. Implications of these findings are discussed. (7 refs)