Combining brief contact interventions (BCI) into a decision-making algorithm to reduce suicide reattempt: the...

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Psychiatry
• Health Services Research

Background:

• The period immediately following a suicide attempt is critical for preventing reattempts or completion.
• Brief contact interventions (BCIs) are effective but vary in efficacy across different patient groups.
• The VigilanS program addresses this by using an algorithmic system for tailored surveillance and BCIs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To reduce suicide and suicide reattempt rates at both individual and population levels.
• To evaluate the effectiveness of a region-wide, algorithm-driven suicide prevention program.
• To tailor post-discharge interventions for individuals who have attempted suicide.

Main Methods:

• Implementation of a region-wide program (VigilanS) using an algorithmic system.
• Provision of crisis cards, systematic recontact (6-month and 10-day calls), and personalized postcards.
• Population-level analysis comparing rates before and after implementation, with cross-sectional and time-series analyses.
• Individual-level comparison of patients in VigilanS with a matched control cohort using survival analyses.

Main Results:

• The study is designed to evaluate the impact of the VigilanS program on suicide reattempt and completion rates.
• Individual-level data will be compared using survival analyses to assess intervention effectiveness.
• Population-level data will be analyzed to determine the program's broader impact on suicide rates.

Conclusions:

• The VigilanS program offers a novel, algorithm-driven approach to suicide prevention.
• Tailored interventions show promise in reducing suicide reattempts in at-risk populations.
• The program's framework is being considered for national expansion, highlighting its potential as a public health strategy.