A Novel Recovery-Based Suicide Prevention Program in Upstate New York

Suicide prevention efforts have focused primarily on screening, education, and brief interventions rather than on treatment of underlying vulnerabilities. The Psychiatry High Risk Program (PHRP) is a specialized outpatient program for suicidal youths and young adults that facilitates transitions in care and provides comprehensive treatment aimed at healing and recovery. The authors evaluated the program's impact on inpatient utilization and suicide risk for patients (N=32) who were referred to the PHRP after psychiatric hospitalization for suicidality. Results indicate that program participants had large reductions in depression and suicidal ideation over 180 days postdischarge; they also had significantly fewer rehospitalizations than did a matched historical cohort, with an average savings of >6 hospital days per patient. These preliminary results suggest that a recovery-based suicide prevention program can be feasible and sustainable and may be cost-effective in a value-based system of care.