Treatment Adherence and Recurrence of Suicidal Behaviour in a Cohort of Suicide Attempters in a Nurse-Led Suicide Prevention Programme.
Judit Pons-Baños, David Ballester-Ferrando, Lola Riesco Miranda and 4 others
PMID 41363257WHAT IT FOUND
About half of suicide attempters completed a year of nurse-led follow-up alongside usual mental health care.
Those who completed had fewer repeat attempts in the first year and fewer psychiatric admissions, but the study had no control group.
Key findings
01Of the 306 patients enrolled, 48% (n=147) completed all five scheduled contacts, the programme's main adherence outcome.
02Programme completers had fewer repeat suicide attempts than non-completers at 6 months (3.4% vs 10.1%) and 12 months (8.2% vs 15.9%).
03There were no deaths by suicide in the first year, and 1% (n=3) of the cohort had died by suicide after 24 months.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
This was a retrospective cohort study, so it cannot show that the nurse-led programme caused the observed differences. There was no control group or pre-programme cohort, so the outcomes cannot be compared with usual care alone. The study was done in one region with universal healthcare, so results may not apply in places with different access. Adherence was defined only as completing all five visits, so patients with partial engagement were counted as non-completers. Patients who moved outside Catalonia were considered lost to follow-up, which may miss outcomes elsewhere. Only 3 deaths by suicide occurred, so comparisons of death are very limited. The reduction in repeat attempts was not significant at 24 months. Cost outcomes were not measured, despite discussion of cost-effectiveness.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest. The study was supported by the University of Vic doctoral programme and by a nursing intensification grant from the Department of Health of the Government of Catalonia.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that the nurse-led programme prevented suicide attempts. The study had no control group and compared people who completed it with those who did not, so lower re-attempts among completers may reflect who stayed engaged rather than the programme's effect.