Citation

Morriss R, Gask L, Webb R, Dixon C, Appleby L. Psychol. Med. 2005; 35(7): 957-960.

Affiliation

University of Liverpool, Division of Psychiatry, Royal Liverpool University Hospital, Prescot Street, Liverpool L69 3GA, UK. rmorris@liv.ac.uk

Copyright

(Copyright © 2005, Cambridge University Press)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

16045062

Abstract

BACKGROUND: The opportunity to study district-wide educational interventions on suicide rates is rarely available. In 1997, the authors carried out a district-wide training programme for primary care, accident and emergency, and mental health workers (47% of eligible staff trained), and demonstrated improvements in skills, attitude and confidence among the recipients of the training. METHOD: Suicide rates (including definite suicides and undetermined deaths) and population statistics were collected for a district and region of England from official sources from 1993-2001. A before-and-after (1994-1996 and 1998-2000) training intervention analysis was conducted on suicide rates. RESULTS: The suicide rate in 1994-1996 was 8.8 per 100 000 before our educational intervention and unchanged at 8.6 per 100 000 in 1998-2000 after it (p = 0.783). CONCLUSION: Brief educational interventions to improve the assessment and management of suicide for front-line health professionals in contact with suicidal patients may not be sufficient to reduce the population suicide rate.