This course is based upon material published in BMC Psychiatry and is available as an open-access article.

Background: Every year, more than 800,000 people worldwide die by suicide. The aim of this study was to conduct a systematic review of the effectiveness of brief psychological interventions in addressing suicidal thoughts and behavior in healthcare settings.

Results: Four controlled studies of brief psychological interventions were included, conducted in Switzerland, the U.S., and across low and middle-income countries. Three studies were conducted with adults and one with adolescents. All of the interventions were implemented with patients after attending emergency departments and involved 3412 participants. The main outcomes were suicide, suicide attempts, suicidal ideation, depression, and hospitalization. The components of the interventions were early therapeutic engagement, information provision, safety planning, and follow-up contact for at least 12 months. The interventions drew, to different degrees, on psychological theory and techniques. Two trials that measured suicidal ideation found no impact. Two studies showed fewer suicide attempts, one showed fewer suicides and one found an effect on depression.

Conclusions: Although the evidence base is small, brief psychological interventions appear to be effective in reducing suicide and suicide attempts. All studies to date have been conducted with people who had attended the ED but the interventions could potentially be adopted for inpatient and other outpatient settings. Early engagement and therapeutic intervention based on psychological theories of suicidal behavior, sustained in follow-up contacts, may be particularly beneficial.

This course on brief psychological interventions for suicidal presentations is designed for social workers, professional counselors, psychologists, nurses, and substance abuse counselors, who do clinical work.  This course is appropriate for intermediate and advanced level practitioners who wish to develop their knowledge of brief psychological interventions for suicide behaviors.  It may also be useful for licensed clinicians who require clinical continuing education courses for license renewal.  

The course is based on a journal article that includes research.  It contains statistical analysis and data that some clinicians enjoy reading and others do not.  A major benefit of reading research-based articles for continuing education is they provide practitioners with the latest findings in their field. 

Authors:  McCabe, Garside, Backhouse, and Xanthopoulou

Learning Objectives: This course will provide the practitioner with detailed information regarding suicidal presentations and brief psychological interventions.  Specifically, a professional will:

• Describe the focus of studied interventions to address suicidal thoughts and plans
• Recognize which brief intervention was effective in reducing suicide completion
• Distinguish which types of suicidal thoughts and plans were positively impacted by brief psychological interventions

Citation:  McCabe, R,.  Effectiveness of Brief Psychological Interventions for Suicidal Presentations:  A Systematic Review.  BMC Psychiatry 18:120.  2018.

This course content is based on a publication that has been peer-reviewed, the scientific standard for evaluating academic work. All studies and scientifically derived evidence have limitations that should be considered. If you have any questions about the accuracy or limitations of the content, please contact us at support@ce-classes.com and we will get back to you.