Brief interventions and contacts after suicide attempt: A meta-analysis

Brief interventions and contacts after suicide attempt: A meta-analysis | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Analysis Brief interventions and contacts after suicide attempt: A meta-analysis Stephanie Homan, Alina Ritzinger, Sofia Michel, Anna-Marie Bertram, and 8 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-5544491/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Following a suicide attempt, only a third of people receive outpatient treatment. This highlights the need to rethink our approach to treatment, to include the consideration of low-threshold brief interventions and contacts. Therefore, in this study, we investigated the extent to which such brief interventions and contacts (BICs) are effective. PubMed, Cochrane, Embase, ProQuest, and PsycINFO were searched by independent researchers according to the PRISMA guidelines. This meta-analysis included randomized clinical trials (RCTs) that tested BIC in adults after a suicide attempt. It examined the effectiveness of BIC on (1) re-attempts at follow-up, (2) self-harm at follow-up, (3) suicidal ideation at follow-up, and (4) linkage to mental health services at follow-up. The findings from 54 RCTs confirmed that BICs are effective: (1) Re-attempts at the follow-up phase were significantly reduced in the BIC group compared with control (-0.35, 95% CI: -0.54, –0.15). (2) There was no difference between the groups in the recurrence of self-harm and (3) in the severity of suicidal ideation at follow-up. (4) The linkage to mental health services at follow-up was significantly higher in the BIC group compared with control (0.60, 95% CI: 0.05, 1.15). In this largest meta-analysis to date, there are clear implications for clinical practice: BICs, often consisting of only one session, are effective in reducing the recurrence of suicide attempts and can be used to help people find a connection to the mental healthcare system after a suicide attempt. Thus, these interventions should be integrated into suicide prevention strategies. Health sciences/Health care/Disease prevention/Preventive medicine Scientific community and society/Social sciences/Psychology brief interventions and contacts suicide attempt suicidal thoughts and behaviors randomized controlled trials systematic review meta-analysis Full Text Additional Declarations There is NO Competing Interest. Supplementary Files bicsupp.pdf Supplementary Material Cite Share Download PDF Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-5544491","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Analysis","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":392941116,"identity":"4af9f69e-f856-4e27-8d41-0ab139b263fa","order_by":0,"name":"Stephanie 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