@article{ref1,
title="Presentations to the emergency department with self-harm or suicidal behaviours: a role for digital mental health services?",
journal="Journal of psychiatric research",
year="2022",
author="Lappin, Julia M. and Zahra, Emma and Darke, Shane and Shand, Fiona and Sharma, Swapnil and Draper, Brian and Connors, Michael H. and Dear, Blake and Titov, Nickolai and Campbell, Gabrielle",
volume="154",
number="",
pages="50-55",
abstract="Emergency Department (ED) is an important site for assessing people presenting with self-harm or suicidal behaviors. Digital mental health services (DMHS) offer evidence-based interventions for mental health issues, but are often under-utilised, and information about them is rarely provided in ED. This feasibility study explored whether offering information about a DMHS to individuals presenting to ED with self-harm/suicidal behaviors resulted in self-enrolment in DMHS interventions for anxiety, depression and/or chronic pain. <br><br>METHODS: all individuals aged 18+ presenting with self-harm/suicidal behaviors to a metropolitan ED were screened for symptoms of anxiety, depression and/or chronic pain. Those with these symptoms were invited to participate in a study investigating enrolment with a DMHS. Study participants were provided with information about DMHS and followed up at one month. <br><br>RESULTS: 260 individuals presented with self-harm/suicidal behaviors over the 6-month study period. Many reported low mood (73.5%, n = 191) anxiety (67.2%, n = 174) and/or chronic pain (18.5%, n = 48). Half of those eligible for DMHS agreed at point of ED discharge to be contacted about participation in the DMHS study (51.4%, n = 108). One-third of these participated in the study (35.2%, n = 38). Rates of past-month high-risk SB (65.8%, n = 25), depression (92.1%, n = 35), anxiety (78.9%, n = 30) and chronic pain (57.9%, n = 22) were very high. Of these, 39.5% (n = 15) self-enrolled with the DMHS; almost all (80.0%, n = 13) engaged with an online intervention. <br><br>CONCLUSIONS: A subset of people presenting to emergency department with suicidal behaviors will engage with DMHS. Better understanding is needed of factors contributing to uptake of DMHS in this group.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="0022-3956",
doi="10.1016/j.jpsychires.2022.07.046",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychires.2022.07.046"
}