Brief Intervention and Contact (BIC) Program to Manage Suicidal Behaviour: A Pilot Study

Brief contact interventions are distinct from other treatments for suicide and suicidal behaviour, in that the goals include maintaining long-term contact with patients, and through this, provide opportunities for them to re-engage with mental health services when needed. Additionally, brief interventions are not required to be carried out by mental health professionals (i.e. psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers), and they are provided over a structured schedule over a prolonged period post discharge.

The brief intervention and contact (BIC) model followed in this study is based on the BIC model that was utilised by the WHO as part of the Multisite Intervention Study On Suicidal Behaviours (SUPRE-MISS). A sub-project of the SUPRE-MISS study involved the implementation of a brief intervention that included an hour-long information session about suicide and suicidal behaviour around the discharge period, and nine periods of follow up through an in-person visit or phone call to assess the patient's well-being and provide referrals to clinical services as needed. Following implementation, an analysis of the effectiveness of the BIC model in five different countries, Brazil, India, Sri Lanka, Islamic Republic of Iran, and China, outline its potential utility. Compared to patients in the control group, there was a reduction in suicide rates in patients who received the BIC intervention.

This is a pilot study to test the feasibility of implementing the BIC protocol in a large multisite trial. We will, however, provide the objective of the main study to provide an overview of the study and the intended outcomes in addition to the pilot study objectives as below.

Study question and hypothesis of the main study:

For patients with suicidal behaviour admitted to inpatient units of acute and tertiary hospitals, does the addition of a brief intervention and contact program decrease suicide re-attempts, reduce depressive symptoms, improve social connectivity, and reduce further ER visits, compared to treatment as usual after 18 months of follow-up? The pilot study will be for 6 months only. We hypothesize that brief intervention and contact is an effective intervention for reducing suicidal behaviour in patients who have attempted suicide.