Intervention for suicide attempters: A randomized controlled study.

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Psychiatry
• Clinical Intervention

Background:

• Suicidal behavior poses a significant public health challenge globally.
• Effective, low-cost interventions are crucial for suicide prevention, particularly in resource-limited settings.
• Previous research indicates the potential of targeted interventions for individuals who have attempted suicide.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of a brief intervention and contact (BIC) strategy in reducing subsequent suicidal behavior among suicide attempters.
• To assess the impact of BIC on both completed suicides and further suicide attempts.

Main Methods:

• A randomized controlled trial involving 680 suicide attempters admitted to a general hospital in Chennai.
• Participants were allocated to either treatment as usual or the BIC group.
• The BIC group received a brief intervention at discharge and 18 months of follow-up contact.

Main Results:

• The BIC group demonstrated a significantly lower rate of completed suicide (OR 35.4; CI 18.4-78.2).
• Suicide attempts were also significantly reduced in the BIC group (OR 17.3; CI 10.8-29.7).
• The intervention proved to be highly effective in preventing recurrent suicidal behavior.

Conclusions:

• Brief intervention and contact (BIC) is a highly effective and low-cost strategy for suicide prevention.
• This intervention can be readily implemented within healthcare settings, particularly in India.
• BIC represents a valuable addition to suicide prevention strategies in clinical practice.