The development and implementation of a brief intervention for medically admitted suicide attempt survivors

Abstract

Objective The current study endeavored to establish the feasibility and acceptability of a brief intervention for medically admitted suicide attempt survivors. Method Fifty patients admitted to a Level 1 trauma center were recruited following a suicide attempt. The first 10 patients provided information on what constituted usual care, which in turn informed the creation of the intervention manual and research design. The next 10 patients informed refinement of the intervention and research procedures. The final 30 patients were randomized in a pre-post research design to receive the teachable moment brief intervention plus usual care or usual care only. Patients were assessed prior to randomization and 1 month later by blinded research assistants. Outcomes included patient satisfaction, readiness to change problematic behaviors, reasons for living, and suicidal ideation. Results Patients rated the brief intervention as “good” to “great” on all items related to client satisfaction. Significant group × time interactions were observed for readiness to change (β=9.02, S.D.=3.73, P=.02) and reasons for living (β=29.60, S.D.=10.22, P=.004), suggesting greater improvement for those patients who received the brief intervention. Conclusions Patients admitted to an acute inpatient medical setting may benefit from a brief intervention that complements usual care by focusing specifically on the functional aspects of the suicide attempt in a collaborative, patient-centered manner.

Active suicidal ideation during clinical antidepressant trials

“…Given that there is an important and burgeoning pharmacological (Murrough et al, 2015) and psychotherapeutic (Brown et al, 2005; Comtois et al, 2011; Linehan et al, 2006; O’Connor et al, 2015) literature of clinical trials for acutely suicidal individuals, the results of the current study further support the feasibility and need for neurobiological research with suicidal individuals. Working with individuals and organizations that are already conducting research with high risk individuals, such as the VA, may offer a prime opportunity to integrate neurobiological methods into ongoing clinical trials.…”

Nursing interventions for adults following a mental health crisis: A systematic review guided by trauma‐informed principles

“…The studies examined outcomes of patient satisfaction, readiness to change problematic behaviours, reasons for living and suicidal ideation, psychological symptoms, social role functioning, and interpersonal relationships. Components of brief intervention varied throughout the studies; however, brief crisis interventions that considered trauma‐informed principles had positive outcomes (Li & Xu ; O'Connor et al ), as opposed to brief crisis interventions that did not consider trauma‐informed principles (Van Oenen et al ). A brief, group psychological session for relatives of patients in a vegetative state was associated with a decrease in psychological symptoms such as somatization, obsessive–compulsive behaviour, depression, and anxiety compared to the control group who did not receive the intervention (Li & Xu ).…”

“…The brief single‐session group intervention was in the format of a critical incident stress debriefing, which included participants describing what happened and their first thoughts concerning the event, discussing their emotional reactions, and receiving training to increase coping abilities (Li & Xu ). In another RCT, a teachable brief intervention for persons who attempted suicide was associated with greater patient satisfaction, improvement in motivation to address their problems, and significant improvements on reasons for living compared to the group who received usual care (O'Connor et al ). The majority of patients in both groups reported no desire for suicide at the one‐month assessment (O'Connor et al ).…”

“…In another RCT, a teachable brief intervention for persons who attempted suicide was associated with greater patient satisfaction, improvement in motivation to address their problems, and significant improvements on reasons for living compared to the group who received usual care (O'Connor et al ). The majority of patients in both groups reported no desire for suicide at the one‐month assessment (O'Connor et al ). The teachable moment brief intervention involved a functional assessment, crisis planning, and discussion of further outpatient mental health services (O'Connor et al ).…”

“…The majority of patients in both groups reported no desire for suicide at the one‐month assessment (O'Connor et al ). The teachable moment brief intervention involved a functional assessment, crisis planning, and discussion of further outpatient mental health services (O'Connor et al ). Overall, the studies that examined brief interventions for crisis events utilized trauma‐informed principles of ensuring psychological safety, establishing a collaborative relationship (O'Connor et al ), and offering training to increase coping abilities (Li & Xu ; O'Connor et al ).…”