Randomized controlled trial for the Attempted Suicide Short Intervention Program (ASSIP): An independent...

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry
• Clinical Psychology
• Public Health

Background:

• Replication studies are crucial in suicide prevention research.
• The Attempted Suicide Short Intervention Program (ASSIP) is a brief intervention for patients with recent suicide attempts.
• Previous research suggested ASSIP's efficacy in reducing suicidal behavior.

Purpose of the Study:

• To re-evaluate the efficacy of ASSIP when added to treatment as usual (TAU) in reducing repeated suicidal behavior.
• To conduct a replication study following calls for rigorous research practices in crisis intervention.

Main Methods:

• An open-label, randomized, controlled parallel-group trial involving 92 patients with recent suicide attempts.
• Patients were assigned to either TAU or TAU plus ASSIP.
• Primary outcome was suicidal behavior (attempts, deaths) over 12 months; secondary outcomes included re-attempts and psychiatric admissions.

Main Results:

• No significant reduction in suicidal behavior or psychiatric admissions was found with ASSIP in the intention-to-treat analysis.
• One suicide death occurred in both the ASSIP and control groups.
• A per-protocol analysis surprisingly indicated a higher incidence of suicide re-attempts in the ASSIP group.

Conclusions:

• This non-replication study suggests ASSIP combined with TAU does not significantly reduce suicidal behavior compared to TAU alone.
• Findings contradict previous positive results, highlighting the need for further investigation.
• Additional research is required to refine ASSIP indications and enhance its effectiveness in suicide prevention.