"The results of this randomized controlled trial indicated that a relatively brief cognitive therapy intervention was effective in preventing suicide attempts for adults who recently attempted suicide. Specifically, participants in the cognitive therapy group were approximately 50 percent less likely to attempt suicide during the follow-up period than participants in the usual care group," the authors write.
The researchers also found that the severity of depression by one measurement was significantly lower for the cognitive therapy group than for the usual care group at the 6-month, 12-month, and 18-month assessments. The cognitive therapy group also had significantly less hopelessness than the usual care group at six months.
"An important goal of the National Strategy for Suicide Prevention is to improve community linkages with primary care and mental health/substance abuse health systems for translating evidence-based treatments into community-based settings. The short-term feature of cognitive therapy would make it particularly applicable for the treatment of suicide attempters at community mental health centers, which typically provide relatively short-term therapy. Additional studies are warranted to examine the feasibility, effectiveness, and cost-effectiveness of this intervention in community-based mental health and substance use treatment settings," the authors conclude.
(JAMA. 2005; 294:563570. Available pre-embargo to the media at www.jamamedia.org.)
Editor's Note: This research was supported by grants from the National Institute of Mental Health and the CDC.
Editorial: Mental Illness and Violent Death Major Issues for Public Health
In an accompanying editorial, Thomas B. Cole, M.D., M.P.H., and Richard M. Glass, M.D., of JAMA, Chicago, comment on the studies in this week's JAMA on suicide and violence.
"Identifying persons at risk of violen
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Contact: Susan Winston
215-349-8368
JAMA and Archives Journals
2-Aug-2005