A Pilot Study Evaluating a Support Programme for Parents of Young People With Suicidal Behaviour

This study evaluated a programme designed to decrease the psychological distress of parents caring for a young person with deliberate self-harm, reduce parental reports of young peoples’ difficulties, increase parental satisfaction, & increase parents’ ratings of their own defined challenges & goals. Participants were recruited from a variety of sources in Dublin. 46 parents participated in the evaluation. A repeated measures design was used to identify changes in parental wellbeing & reports of their children’s difficulties. The programme was found to be effective & desired changes were maintained at 6-month follow-up in the 37% of participants who could be followed up. (25 refs.)