Implementation strategies in suicide prevention: a scoping review

Implementation strategies can be a vital leveraging point for enhancing the implementation and dissemination of evidence-based suicide prevention interventions and programming. However, much remains unknown about which implementation strategies are commonly used and effective for supporting suicide prevention efforts.

In light of the limited available literature, a scoping review was conducted to evaluate implementation strategies present in current suicide prevention studies. We identified studies that were published between 2013 and 2022 that focused on suicide prevention and incorporated at least one implementation strategy. Studies were coded by two independent coders who showed strong inter-rater reliability. Data were synthesized using descriptive statistics and a narrative synthesis of findings.

Overall, we found that studies most commonly utilized strategies related to iterative evaluation, training, and education. The majority of studies did not include direct measurement of suicide behavior outcomes, and there were few studies that directly tested implementation strategy effectiveness.

Implementation science strategies remain an important component for improving suicide prevention and intervention implementation. Future research should consider the incorporation of more type 3 hybrid designs as well as increased systematic documentation of implementation strategies.

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