Citation

Oostermeijer S, Morgan A, Cheesmond N, Green R, Reavley N. Crisis 2024; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2024, International Association for Suicide Prevention, Publisher Hogrefe Publishing)

DOI

10.1027/0227-5910/a000939

PMID

38375762

Abstract

AIM: This paper reports preliminary evidence of the impacts of Australia's first residential peer-support service for people at risk of suicide.

METHODS: Psychological distress was measured preintervention, postintervention, and after 3 months and analyzed using paired t tests. Interviews were held postintervention and were analyzed using thematic analysis.

RESULTS: Psychological distress significantly improved from preintervention to postintervention (n = 16, d = 1.77) and at follow-up (n = 5, d = 1.12). Interviews (n = 10) indicated that participants experienced improvements in mental well-being and feelings of connectedness, respite, and confidence to engage with other services. The peer-support workers were key. Some participants felt that the location was too remote, too little information was given, and a longer stay would have been preferable. Limitations: The study did not include a control group, the sample was relatively small, and participants may have been subject to socially desirable answers.

CONCLUSIONS: These findings indicate that residential peer-support services potentially offer a valuable alternative to conventional inpatient treatment for people at risk of suicide.

Language: en

Keywords

lived-experience; peer-support; prevention; recovery-oriented; suicide