Can clinician's risk assessments distinguish those who disclose suicidal ideation from those who attempt suicide?

Participants were 85 individuals who made suicide attempts within two years of their Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) assessment, identified using record linkage. Two comparison groups, non-suicidal controls (n = 1416) and (ideators, n = 743) were compared on variables extracted from the standardized IAPT risk assessment interview. Disclosure of a historical suicide attempt or non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) distinguished those making an attempt from those with suicidal ideation only, but suicidal intent did not. A third of the participants concealed a historical suicide attempt. The IAPT Phobia Scale classified 49.30% of attempters with 100% specificity. The IAPT Phobia Scale may have clinical value in assessing risk but requires validation. Past suicide attempt and NSSI have better clinical risk assessment utility than current suicidal ideation intensity. Risk assessment relying on disclosure is likely to be flawed and risks support being withheld from those assumed to be at lower risk.

Evaluating cognitive analytic therapy within a primary care psychological therapy service.

OBJECTIVES: Cognitive analytic therapy (CAT) is used within UK mental health settings as a treatment for transdiagnostic complex psychological presentations. However, it is not routinely offered by the NHS Talking Therapies, for anxiety and depression (NHS Talking Therapies) programme which provides psychological treatments for common mental health difficulties. We aimed to evaluate the outcomes of providing CAT treatment to patients presenting with depression and/or anxiety, within the context of relational difficulties, adverse childhood experience or difficulty managing emotions, returning for further psychological treatment within NHS Talking Therapies. METHODS: This was a pragmatic, real-world evaluation, involving routinely collected self-report measures of depression and anxiety, to examine the treatment outcomes of NHS Talking Therapies patients offered CAT over an 18-month period. Quantitative validated measures of depression and anxiety were administered at the beginning and end of CAT treatment, and at follow up. Within-group change in depression and anxiety scores were examined statistically, and rates of reliable improvement and recovery calculated. RESULTS: Statistically significant decreases in depression and anxiety scores were observed during the CAT active treatment phase. The recovery rate was 46.4%, and 71.4% of patients showed a reliable improvement post-treatment. Positive outcomes continued to be observed at follow-up, with a recovery rate of 50% and a reliable improvement rate of 79.4%. CONCLUSIONS: CAT shows promise as a treatment option for NHS Talking Therapies patients re-presenting with depression and/or anxiety. More research is required to determine if CAT should be offered more widely within NHS Talking Therapies services.