Beyond Randomized Controlled Trials in Attempted Suicide Research

There is a lack of evidence about what is the best treatment for people who present to hospital after self-harm. Most treatment trials have been small & involved unrepresentative groups of patients resulting in inconclusive findings. The authors note some of the characteristics of attempted suicide which make it a difficult subject to study. They describe the problems of doing randomized controlled trials in attempted suicide & outline the advantages & difficulties of randomized controlled trials, Zelen designs, patient preference designs, & cluster randomized trials in attempted suicide intervention trials. Researchers & consumers should consider other research designs when asking what is effective after self-harm. (26 refs.)