Hospital-Based Case Management for Suicide High-Risk Group Using Delphi Survey

Area of Science:

• Mental Health
• Public Health
• Suicidology

Background:

• South Korea has the highest suicide rate among OECD countries as of 2019.
• Current Emergency Department Based Post-Suicide Attempt Case Management is insufficient.
• There is a need for continuous mental health services post-discharge to prevent suicide attempts.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a hospital-based case management plan for suicide high-risk groups.
• To ensure continuous mental health services after acute care discharge.
• To reduce suicide rates in South Korea.

Main Methods:

• A two-round Delphi survey was conducted.
• 15 multidisciplinary suicide prevention specialists participated.
• The survey focused on reaching consensus for hospital-based case management.

Main Results:

• The first Delphi survey achieved agreement on 30 out of 39 questions across 8 areas.
• The second Delphi survey resulted in 32 out of 37 questions meeting the agreement standard.
• Consensus was reached on most categories for the developed case management plan.

Conclusions:

• A consensus was achieved for a Hospital Based Case Management for Suicide High-Risk Group.
• The plan emphasizes continuous services, stability, and universalization via a medical insurance fee system.
• This new hospital-based model is expected to contribute to reducing suicide rates in Korea.