Field lauds congressional support of 988 suicide prevention, MH crisis line

Abstract. Background: Volunteer crisis line responders are a valuable resource for suicide prevention crisis lines worldwide. Aim: The aim of this study was to gain a deeper understanding of how volunteers operating a diaconal crisis line in Norway experienced challenges and how these challenges were met. Method: A qualitative, explorative study was conducted. A total of 27 volunteers were interviewed through four focus groups. The material was analyzed using systematic text condensation. Results: The greatest challenge to the volunteers was the perception of a gap between their expectations and the practice field. The experience of many volunteers was that the crisis line primarily served a broad ongoing support function for loneliness or mental illness concerns, rather than a suicide prevention crisis intervention function. Limitations: The focus group design may have made the participants more reluctant to share experiences representing alternative perspectives or personally sensitive information. Conclusion: The findings of this study suggest that a uniform response to callers using crisis lines as a source of ongoing support is warranted and should be implemented in volunteer training programs.

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Supportive effect of body contact care with ylang ylang aromatherapy and mobile intervention team for suicide prevention: A pilot study

Journal of International Medical Research ◽

10.1177/0300060520946237 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 48 (9) ◽

pp. 030006052094623

Author(s):

Stéphane Amadéo ◽

Ngoc Lam Nguyen ◽

Taivini Teai ◽

Patrick Favro ◽

Aurélia Mulet ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Suicidal Ideation ◽

Suicide Prevention ◽

Rating Scale ◽

Suicide Attempts ◽

Intervention Group ◽

Control Group ◽

Body Contact ◽

Mobile Intervention ◽

Crisis Line ◽

Intervention Team

Objectives To assess understudied, alternative suicide prevention modalities in a mental health care setting. Methods This was a prospective study of patients (n = 140, 68 cases and 72 controls) who were admitted to hospital or who contacted an SOS suicide crisis line for suicidal ideation or attempts. Psychiatric diagnoses (Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview) and intensity of anxiety/depression/suicidality (Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale, Montgomery–Åsberg Depression Rating Scale, and Beck Scale for Suicidal Ideation) were assessed. All intervention group subjects received a crisis card with a crisis line number, interviews with psychologists or volunteers and a telephone call on days 10 to 21, then 6 months later. These subjects also had a choice between two further 4-month interventions: body contact care or mobile intervention team visits. Results The interventions significantly reduced the number of suicide attempts and suicide (3%) at 6 months compared with the control condition (12%). There were fewer losses to follow-up in the intervention group (7.35%) than in the control group (9.72%). Conclusions The results favour the implementation of integrated care and maintaining contact in suicide prevention.

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Suicide Prevention through Shared Information

International Journal for Population Data Science ◽

10.23889/ijpds.v1i1.359 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 1 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Lloyd Balbuena ◽

Rudy Bowen ◽

Marilyn Baetz

Keyword(s):

Suicide Prevention ◽

Administrative Data ◽

Health Workers ◽

Interdisciplinary Team ◽

Data Access ◽

Uk Biobank ◽

Patient Advocates ◽

Self Harm ◽

Crisis Line ◽

Imminent Risk

ABSTRACT ObjectivesAlthough mental health clinicians are in the best position to assess a person’s risk for suicide, people at imminent risk may first seek the help of crisis workers, the police, hospital staff, or family members. The present project will use international (UK Biobank), provincial, and local crisis line data to elucidate imminent risks for suicide. An interdisciplinary team will discuss whether a common protocol for handling acute cases is warranted. The possibility of sharing a minimal set of information across services will also be discussed. ApproachThe conceptual framework is that suicide is a probabilistic outcome of risks (comprised of inherited traits, habits, and environmental stressors) that can be put in temporal order as distal, proximate, and immediate antecedents. Local, provincial, and international data will be mined for risks corresponding to each epoch. The evidence will be assessed by an interdisciplinary team composed of patient advocates, psychiatrists, the police service, community health workers and academic researchers with the objective of reaching an agreement on a common protocol for suicidality assessment. The possibility of sharing a minimal dataset that is relevant to saving the lives of people at imminent risk of suicide will be explored. Finally, the efficacy of coordinated care across services will be evaluated by comparing suicide and self-harm rates will be assessed by comparing suicide and self-harm rates before and after the adoption of the protocol. ResultsAn interdisciplinary team has been formed and funding for the project is being sought. An application for data access to the UK Biobank received preliminary approval and is being evaluated by the scientific committee. Applications for access to provincial administrative data as well as telephone crisis line data for the last 10 years are being prepared. ConclusionRoutinely collected administrative data is a resource for the collective decision-making of an interdisciplinary team of experts and patient advocates. The ability of critical information to flow across organizational boundaries may be an important tool in suicide prevention. Dialogues regarding the ethical dilemma between potentially saving lives and potentially breaking privacy may need to happen.

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Emotional stressors among volunteers operating a diaconal suicide-prevention crisis line in Norway: a qualitative study

British Journal of Guidance and Counselling ◽

10.1080/03069885.2019.1646409 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 48 (4) ◽

pp. 563-575

Author(s):

Ingvild E. Vattøe ◽

Valerie DeMarinis ◽

Sigrid H. K. Haug ◽

Lars Lien ◽

Lars J. Danbolt

Keyword(s):

Qualitative Study ◽

Suicide Prevention ◽

Crisis Line

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Hone Suicide Prevention Skills, Physician Says

Pediatric News ◽

10.1016/s0031-398x(09)70343-1 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 43 (12) ◽

pp. 22

Author(s):

BETSY BATES

Keyword(s):

Suicide Prevention

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A Model for Analyzing Suicide Prevention

Crisis ◽

10.1027//0227-5910.21.2.80 ◽

2000 ◽

Vol 21 (2) ◽

pp. 80-89 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Maila Upanne

Keyword(s):

Risk Factors ◽

Theoretical Model ◽

Protective Factors ◽

Suicide Prevention ◽

Suicide Risk ◽

Practical Work ◽

Individual Risk ◽

Self Assessment ◽

Prevention Project ◽

Individual Risk Factors

This study monitored the evolution of psychologists' (n = 31) conceptions of suicide prevention over the 9-year course of the National Suicide Prevention Project in Finland and assessed the feasibility of the theoretical model for analyzing suicide prevention developed in earlier studies [ Upanne, 1999a , b ]. The study was formulated as a retrospective self-assessment where participants compared their earlier descriptions of suicide prevention with their current views. The changes in conceptions were analyzed and interpreted using both the model and the explanations given by the subjects themselves. The analysis proved the model to be a useful framework for revealing the essential features of prevention. The results showed that the freely-formulated ideas on prevention were more comprehensive than those evolved in practical work. Compared to the earlier findings, the conceptions among the group had shifted toward emphasizing a curative approach and the significance of individual risk factors. In particular, greater priority was focused on the acute suicide risk phase as a preventive target. Nonetheless, the overall structure of prevention ideology remained comprehensive and multifactorial, stressing multistage influencing. Promotive aims (protective factors) also remained part of the prevention paradigm. Practical working experiences enhanced the psychologists' sense of the difficulties of suicide prevention as well as their criticism and feeling of powerlessness.

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Root Cause Analyses of Suicides of Mental Health Clients

Crisis ◽

10.1027/0227-5910/a000328 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 36 (5) ◽

pp. 316-324 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Donna Gillies ◽

David Chicop ◽

Paul O'Halloran

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Suicide Prevention ◽

Common Factor ◽

Data Collection Tool ◽

Related Factors ◽

Root Cause ◽

Communication Problems ◽

The Individual ◽

Mental Health Clients ◽

Imminent Risk

Abstract. Background: The ability to predict imminent risk of suicide is limited, particularly among mental health clients. Root cause analysis (RCA) can be used by health services to identify service-wide approaches to suicide prevention. Aims: To (a) develop a standardized taxonomy for RCAs; (b) to quantitate service-related factors associated with suicides; and (c) to identify service-related suicide prevention strategies. Method: The RCAs of all people who died by suicide within 1 week of contact with the mental health service over 5 years were thematically analyzed using a data collection tool. Results: Data were derived from RCAs of all 64 people who died by suicide between 2008 and 2012. Major themes were categorized as individual, situational, and care-related factors. The most common factor was that clients had recently denied suicidality. Reliance on carers, recent changes in medication, communication problems, and problems in follow-through were also commonly identified. Conclusion: Given the difficulty in predicting suicide in people whose expressions of suicidal ideation change so rapidly, services may consider the use of strategies aimed at improving the individual, stressor, support, and care factors identified in this study.

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Suicide Prevention Through Online Gatekeeping Using Search Advertising Techniques

Crisis ◽

10.1027/0227-5910/a000322 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 36 (4) ◽

pp. 267-273 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Hajime Sueki ◽

Jiro Ito

Keyword(s):

Suicidal Ideation ◽

Suicide Prevention ◽

Help Seeking ◽

Service Use ◽

Web Search ◽

Suicide Attempts ◽

Consultation Service ◽

Search Advertising ◽

Internet Users ◽

History Of

Abstract. Background: Nurturing gatekeepers is an effective suicide prevention strategy. Internet-based methods to screen those at high risk of suicide have been developed in recent years but have not been used for online gatekeeping. Aims: A preliminary study was conducted to examine the feasibility and effects of online gatekeeping. Method: Advertisements to promote e-mail psychological consultation service use among Internet users were placed on web pages identified by searches using suicide-related keywords. We replied to all emails received between July and December 2013 and analyzed their contents. Results: A total of 139 consultation service users were analyzed. The mean age was 23.8 years (SD = 9.7), and female users accounted for 80% of the sample. Suicidal ideation was present in 74.1%, and 12.2% had a history of suicide attempts. After consultation, positive changes in mood were observed in 10.8%, 16.5% showed intentions to seek help from new supporters, and 10.1% of all 139 users actually took help-seeking actions. Conclusion: Online gatekeeping to prevent suicide by placing advertisements on web search pages to promote consultation service use among Internet users with suicidal ideation may be feasible.

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Crisis Phones - Suicide Prevention Versus Suggestion/Contagion Effects

Crisis ◽

10.1027/0227-5910/a000313 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 36 (3) ◽

pp. 220-224 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Steven Stack

Keyword(s):

Suicide Prevention ◽

Contagion Effects ◽

Long Term Impact

Abstract. Background: There has been no systematic work on the short- or long-term impact of the installation of crisis phones on suicides from bridges. The present study addresses this issue. Method: Data refer to 219 suicides from 1954 through 2013 on the Skyway Bridge in St. Petersburg, Florida. Six crisis phones with signs were installed in July 1999. Results: In the first decade after installation, the phones were used by 27 suicidal persons and credited with preventing 26 or 2.6 suicides a year. However, the net suicide count increased from 48 in the 13 years before installation of phones to 106 the following 13 years or by 4.5 additional suicides/year (t =3.512, p < .001). Conclusion: Although the phones prevented some suicides, there was a net increase after installation. The findings are interpreted with reference to suggestion/contagion effects including the emergence of a controversial bridge suicide blog.

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