Citation

Ferguson M, Posselt M, McIntyre H, Loughhead M, Kenny MA, Mau V, Procter N. Crisis 2021; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2021, International Association for Suicide Prevention, Publisher Hogrefe Publishing)

DOI

10.1027/0227-5910/a000781

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Safety planning involves the co-development of a personalized list of coping strategies to prevent a suicide crisis. Aims: We explored the perspectives of workers regarding safety planning as a suicide prevention strategy for people of refugee background and those seeking asylum in Australia.

METHOD: Participants attended suicide prevention training, specific to refugees and asylum seekers, at which safety planning was a key component. Semistructured, posttraining interviews (n = 12) were analyzed thematically.

RESULTS: Four key themes were identified: safety planning as a co-created, personalized activity for the client; therapeutic benefits of developing a safety plan; barriers to engaging in safety planning; strategies to enhance safety planning engagement. Limitations: First-hand refugee and asylum-seeker experiences were not included.

CONCLUSION: As a relatively low-cost, flexible intervention, safety planning may be valuable and effective for these groups.

Language: en

Keywords

refugees; suicide prevention; asylum seekers; safety planning