Citation

Padmanathan P, Cohen R, Gunnell D, Biddle L, Griffith E, Breheny K, Hickman M, Munien N, Patel A, Crocker E, Moran P. Crisis 2023; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2023, International Association for Suicide Prevention, Publisher Hogrefe Publishing)

DOI

10.1027/0227-5910/a000933

PMID

37975217

Abstract

BACKGROUND: People who present to the emergency department with self-harm and co-occurring substance use problems often have difficulty accessing effective care. Aims: To develop a brief psychosocial intervention for this population, which would be suitable for testing in a future randomized controlled trial.

METHODS: A modified Delphi method was used. A 34-item, 3-round, online Delphi survey was informed by a literature review and stakeholder telephone discussions (n = 17). Two panels consisting of people with lived experience (PWLE: n = 15) and people with occupational experience (PWOE: n = 21) participated in the survey. The threshold for consensus was a pooled agreement rate across the two panels of 80% or more.

RESULTS: Expert consensus was achieved for 22 items. The new intervention consists of weekly follow-up phone calls for up to 1 month, delivered by Liaison Psychiatry practitioners, in which both self-harm and substance use problems are explored and addressed, and patients are supported in accessing community services. Limitations: Some stakeholder ideas regarding intervention components could not be included as survey options due to anticipated difficulties with implementation.

CONCLUSIONS: The key elements of a brief psychosocial intervention for self-harm and co-occurring substance use problems have been agreed. Feasibility testing is currently underway.

Language: en

Keywords

suicide; substance use; psychosocial; self-harm; intervention