Brief psychological therapy helps suicidal patients

Self poisoning is one of the commonest reasons for hospital admission in the United Kingdom but there are no interventions of proved efficacy. Guthrie et al (p 135) carried out a randomised trial comparing four sessions of brief psychodynamic interpersonal therapy with the usual treatment for self poisoning patients presenting to hospital. They found that the treatment reduced suicidal ideation and self reported attempts at self harm and improved patients' satisfaction with care. Further research would establish the specificity and cost effectiveness of this approach to caring for patients who have poisoned themselves.

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Relevant Article

Randomised controlled trial of brief psychological intervention after deliberate self poisoning • Commentary: Another kind of talk that works?

Elspeth Guthrie, Navneet Kapur, Kevin Mackway-Jones, Carolyn Chew-Graham, James Moorey, Elizabeth Mendel, Federica Marino-Francis, Sarah Sanderson, Clive Turpin, Gary Boddy, Barbara Tomenson, and George C Patton
BMJ 2001 323: 135. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]