Designing and determining the effectiveness of a suicide intervention package for psychologists working in the primary health care system

Abstract

Aims: Suicide is a major public health problem around the world. The present study aimed to design and determine the effectiveness of a suicide intervention package for psychologists working in the primary health care system in Hormozgan Province. Materials and Methods: This study was conducted in two phases: qualitative and quantitative phases. In the qualitative phase, it was a thematic analysis type, and in the quantitative phase, it was quasi-experimental type with pretest–posttest in two groups of intervention and comparison. To standardize the suicide intervention package, Delphi method was used, and for quantitative content validity, content validity index (CVI) and content validity ratio (CVR) were used. In the quantitative phase of the study, the statistical population of the study included 270 people who had suicidal ideations and had no history of suicide attempt. Among them, 135 people were included in the intervention group and 135 people were included in the comparison group using a convenience sampling method. They were selected among those referred to eight comprehensive rural and urban health service centers in eight cities of Hormozgan Province. The results were analyzed by MANCOVA statistical test. Results: CVR was more than 0.75 and CVI was more than 0.87. In the quantitative phase, the results showed a significant difference between the means before and after the intervention for the variables of psychological distress, suicidal ideation, and hopelessness (P < 0.01). Conclusion: It seems that psychological suicide preventive interventions in the primary health care system are effective in reducing psychological distress,suicidal thoughts and hopelessness.

Keywords

• crisis
• delphi
• preventive intervention
• suicide
• thematic analysis