Group‐based problem‐solving therapy in self‐poisoning females: A pilot study

Abstract

Aims: The treatment of suicidal behaviour remains limited in efficacy. This pilot study assessed the effectiveness of a time‐limited, group‐based problem‐solving therapy intervention compared with a treatment as usual control group, in females who self‐poison. Method: A total of 18 clients were equally randomised to treatment or control groups. All clients were assessed using standardised questionnaires for depression, hopelessness, suicidal ideation and social problem‐solving skills, at pre‐treatment, post‐treatment and two months follow‐up. Results: The treatment group experienced significant reductions in levels of depression, hopelessness, suicidal ideation and improvements in self‐assessed social problem‐solving skills. Improvements in mental health and aspects of self‐assessed problem‐solving skills for the treatment group continued to be evident at two months follow‐up. The control group did not change significantly over time on mental health measures or social problem solving abilities. Conclusion: Although limited by small sample size, the results suggest that group‐based problem‐solving therapy is effective in the management of deliberate self‐poisoning. This paper is a unique contribution in that it examines the implementation of problem solving therapy with a homogenous population and in a group format. Methodological concerns and directions for future research are discussed.

Active contact and follow-up interventions to prevent repeat suicide attempts during high-risk periods among patients admitted to emergency departments for suicidal behavior: a systematic review and meta-analysis

“…We classified the 28 trials (Additional file 1: Table S1) into four categories by intervention type: active contact and follow-up interventions (Table 1) (18 publications from 14 trials) [21, 24, 25, 27–30, 33, 37–41, 44, 45, 50–52], psychotherapy (12 publications from 10 trials) [22, 26, 32, 34–36, 42, 43, 46–48, 54], pharmacotherapy (1 publication from 1 trial) [23], and miscellaneous interventions (3 publications from 3 trials) [31, 49, 53]. Fourteen trials in 18 publications were active contact and follow-up interventions (Table 1).…”

Effective psychological and psychosocial approaches to reduce repetition of self-harm: a systematic review, meta-analysis and meta-regression

“…A description of trial characteristics is shown in online supplementary table S3 . The majority of trials that provided data for the primary outcome (n=19) 41 42 48 52 55 56 60–62 65 67 69–72 74 75 77 78 87 were medium (80–280 participants), eight were small (<80 participants) 38 44 47 49 50 58 81 82 and nine were large (>280 participants). 39 40 43 54 57 59 63 68 79 Of the remaining trials that did not contribute data to the primary outcome, five trials were small, 45 46 64 73 80 three were medium; 51 53 76 and one was large.…”

“…Thirty trials used TAU, and six used TAU+ as the comparator. 38 43 48 54 58 63 Seven trials used an alternative controlled intervention, 44 45 50 61 74–76 one trial 64 used a waitlist control comparison condition and one trial 69 used a no-intervention control comparison group (see online supplementary table S3 ).…”

“…In 13 trials, self-harm outcomes were measured by participant interview, 42 43 48 50–53 58 63 69 71 73 74 in nine trials via medical records, 39 46 47 57 59 60 62 65 67 in 13 by both, 40 41 44 49 54–56 61 68 70 77 79 82 in one by self-report questionnaire, 76 in two by self-report questionnaire and medical records; 72 78 and in one via the national surveillance system; 81 it was unclear in four; 38 65 68 75 and these outcomes were not collected in two trials 45 80 (see online supplementary table S3 ).…”

Psychotherapeutic approaches to non-suicidal self-injury in adolescents

“…Unfortunately, this meta-analysis did not directly examine the effects of these treatments on reduction of actual DSH. A recent study of group-based Problem-Solving Therapy for adult females who engaged in self-poisoning also found preliminary evidence for improvement with depression, hopelessness, suicidal ideation, and social problem solving, but also failed to show a significant difference between the control and treatment group; indeed, neither group evidenced DSH during the two-month follow-up [20]. …”