Factors influencing the suicide intervention skills of emergency medical services providers

Abstract

Background: Lithuania currently has the highest suicide rate in Europe and the fifth highest worldwide. Aims: To identify the factors that influence the suicide intervention skills of emergency medical services (EMS) providers (doctors, nurses, paramedics). Method: Two hundred and sixty-eight EMS providers participated in the research. The EMS providers were surveyed both prior to their training in suicide intervention and six months later. The questionnaire used for the survey assessed their socio-demographic characteristics, suicide intervention skills, attitudes towards suicide prevention, general mental health, strategies for coping with stress, and likelihood of burnout. Results: Better suicide intervention skills were more prevalent among EMS providers with a higher level of education, heavier workload, more positive attitudes towards suicide prevention, better methods of coping with stress, and those of a younger age. Six months after the non-continuous training in suicide intervention, the providers’ ability to assess suicide risk factors had improved, although there was no change in their suicide intervention skills. Conclusions: In order to improve the suicide intervention skills of EMS providers, particular attention should be paid to attitudes towards suicide prevention, skills for coping with stress, and continuous training in suicide intervention. Abbreviations: EMS: Emergency medical services; SIRI: Suicide intervention response inventory

‘We’re the First Port of Call’ – Perspectives of Ambulance Staff on Responding to Deaths by Suicide: A Qualitative Study

“…Given that ambulance staff may be at the scene of death for a prolonged period before other services arrive in instances of suicide, evidence-based training in critical incident management (Everly and Mitchell, 1997;Maple et al, 2019) is needed. Other qualitative research (Foggin et al, 2016) has demonstrated the extent to which even second responders such as GPs find facing the intense distress or anger of people bereaved by suicide difficult; it has also been emphasized that first responders need continuous training in suicide intervention and skills for coping with trauma-related stress (Lygnugaryte-Griksiene et al, 2017).…”

Zdravstvena nega pacienta, ki je samomorilno ogrožen

“…Medicinske sestre delujejo na različnih področjih, kjer prepoznavajo, posredujejo in vrednotijo stanje Tabela 2: Razporeditev kod po kategorijah Lynch, et al, 2008;Chan, et al, 2009;Meerwijk, et al, 2010;Bregar, 2012;Sakinofsky, 2014;Bolster, et al, 2015;Hagen, et al, 2017;Seixas Santos, et al, 2017;Jansson & Hällgren Graneheim, 2018 Cutcliffe & Stevenson, 2008;Lynch, et al, 2008;Lakeman, 2010;Bregar, 2012;Sun, et al, 2013;Sakinofsky, 2014;Sellin, et al, 2017;Seixas Santos, et al, 2017;Hagen, et al, 2017Hagen, et al, , 2018 Palmieri, et al, 2008;Chan, et al, 2009;Meerwijk, et al, 2010;Bolster, et al, 2015;Lygnugaryte-Griksiene, et al, 2017;Jansson & Hagen, et al, 2018;Hällgren Graneheim, 2018;Wang, et al, 2018 Ukrepi za izboljšanje obravnave in preprečevanje samomora Izobraževanje in usposabljanje na področju samomorilno ogroženih pacientov Povečanje samozavesti medicinskih sester Razvoj preventivnih praks Zagotavljanje podpore medicinskim sestram pri obravnavi samomorilno ogroženih pacientov Izboljšanje načina spopadanja medicinskih sester s samomori pacientov Preprečevanje izgorevanja medicinskih sester Palmieri, et al, 2008;Chan, et al, 2009;Bolster, et al, 2015;Griksiene, et al, 2017;Seixas Santos, et al, 2017;Lygnugaryte-Jansson & Hällgren Graneheim, 2018;…”

The Investigation of the Use of Emergency Medical Services for Geriatric Patients Due to Suicide

“…7The fact that EMS providers receive adequate training on this issue is also considered as a crucial point in terms of preventing suicides. (4) In our knowledge, although various studies have been published in some of the provinces and territories of our country for the use of EMS for suicide-related emergencies, a study reflecting the general state has not been published yet. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to investigate the use of EMS by geriatric patients due to suicide.…”