Suicide Prevention Interventions in the Emergency Department: A Scoping Review

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Emergency Medicine
• Mental Health Services

Background:

• Emergency departments (EDs) are crucial first points of contact for individuals experiencing self-harm or suicide attempts.
• Interventions within EDs hold significant potential for preventing suicidal behavior.
• The full scope and nature of current ED-based interventions are not well-defined.

Purpose of the Study:

• To conduct a scoping review of suicide prevention interventions implemented in emergency departments.
• To explore the extent and characteristics of the existing literature on this topic.

Main Methods:

• A comprehensive scoping review methodology was employed.
• A systematic search strategy based on the population, concept, and context framework was executed across six databases.
• 16 studies were included after screening 10,415 retrieved articles.

Main Results:

• Interventions were classified into organizational, safety planning, psychological, and psychotherapeutic categories.
• Organizational (n=6) and safety planning (n=5) interventions were most prevalent.
• Organizational and safety planning interventions demonstrated positive outcomes, including improved follow-up, care coordination, and reduced readmissions for suicidal behaviors, while psychological and psychotherapeutic interventions yielded mixed results.

Conclusions:

• ED-based suicide prevention interventions can reduce suicidal behaviors and enhance patient outcomes.
• Organizational coordination and safety planning interventions are identified as feasible and effective.
• Enhancing ED staff knowledge and attitudes is recommended to facilitate intervention implementation, underscoring the ED's vital role in suicide prevention.