Outpatient treatment engagement after suicidal attempt: A multisite prospective study

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry
• Public Health
• Emergency Medicine

Background:

• Specialized outpatient treatment engagement (SOTE) after a suicidal attempt is critically low, often below 30-50%.
• Identifying factors that predict SOTE is crucial for improving continuity of care for at-risk individuals.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate predictive factors of SOTE after emergency department (ED) discharge.
• To identify simple interventions to enhance SOTE among suicidal attempters without current psychiatric care.

Main Methods:

• A multisite prospective naturalistic study was conducted.
• 107 suicidal attempters discharged from EDs without current psychiatric ambulatory care were enrolled.
• Bivariate and multivariate analyses were used to identify predictive factors for SOTE.

Main Results:

• Booking an appointment with a mental health professional before ED discharge was significantly associated with a higher SOTE rate.
• This proactive approach demonstrated a clear positive impact on treatment follow-up.

Conclusions:

• Proactive appointment booking before discharge is a simple, effective strategy to improve SOTE for suicidal attempters.
• Informing ED psychiatric caregivers about this approach can enhance patient follow-up and reduce re-attempt rates.