Evaluation of an intensive intervention program in suicidal behaviour.

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Psychiatry
• Clinical Psychology

Background:

• Suicide is a major global public health concern, with millions of attempts annually.
• Understanding and preventing repeat suicide attempts is crucial for reducing mortality and morbidity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of the Intensive Intervention Program (IIP) in reducing repeat suicide attempts.
• To compare the relapse rates of patients receiving IIP versus conventional therapy.

Main Methods:

• A comparative cohort study involving 191 patients (89 in IIP, 102 in conventional therapy).
• A 12-month follow-up period was employed to track patient outcomes.
• Outcomes measured included relapse rates and need for hospital admission.

Main Results:

• The IIP group showed a significantly lower relapse rate (10%) compared to the conventional treatment group (20.6%, p=0.047).
• Patients in the IIP program had a 2.88 times lower risk of relapse (p=0.015), irrespective of prior attempts or demographics.
• IIP treatment was associated with fewer hospital admissions.

Conclusions:

• The Intensive Intervention Program (IIP) is effective in reducing suicide attempt relapse.
• Patients treated with IIP experience longer intervals before repeat attempts and require fewer hospitalizations.
• IIP offers a promising approach to suicide prevention and management.