Effectiveness of a virtual patient simulation training on improving provider engagement in suicide safer care.

BACKGROUND: Health care providers have a critical opportunity to mitigate the public health problem of suicide. Virtual patient simulations (VPS) allow providers to learn and practice evidence-based suicide prevention practices in a realistic and risk-free environment. The purpose of this study was to test whether receiving VPS training increases the likelihood that providers will engage in effective suicide safer care practices. METHODS: Behavioral health and non-behavioral health providers (N = 19) at a Federally Qualified Health Center who work with patients at risk for suicide received the VPS training on risk assessment, safety planning, and motivation to engage in treatment. Providers' electronic health records were compared 6 months pre- and post-VPS training on their engagement in suicide safer care practices of screening, assessment, safety planning, and adding suicide ideation to the problem list. RESULTS: Most behavioral health providers were already engaging in evidence-based suicide prevention care prior to the VPS training. Findings demonstrated the VPS training may impact the likelihood that non-behavioral health providers engage in suicide safer care practices. CONCLUSION: VPS training in evidence-based suicide prevention practices can optimize and elevate all health care providers' skills in suicide care regardless of role and responsibility, demonstrating the potential to directly impact patient outcomes.

An implementation evaluation of "Zero Suicide" using normalization process theory to support high-quality care for patients at risk of suicide.

BACKGROUND: Suicide rates continue to rise across the United States, galvanizing the need for increased suicide prevention and intervention efforts. The Zero Suicide (ZS) model was developed in response to this need and highlights four key clinical functions of high-quality health care for patients at risk of suicide. The goal of this quality improvement study was to understand how six large health care systems operationalized practices to support these functions-identification, engagement, treatment and care transitions. METHODS: Using a key informant interview guide and data collection template, researchers who were embedded in each health care system cataloged and summarized current and future practices supporting ZS, including, (1) the function addressed; (2) a description of practice intent and mechanism of intervention; (3) the target patient population and service setting; (4) when/how the practice was (or will be) implemented; and (5) whether/how the practice was documented and/or measured. Normalization process theory (NPT), an implementation evaluation framework, was applied to help understand how ZS had been operationalized in routine clinical practices and, specifically, what ZS practices were described by key informants (coherence), the current state of norms/conventions supporting these practices (cognitive participation), how health care teams performed these practices (collective action), and whether/how practices were measured when they occurred (reflexive monitoring). RESULTS: The most well-defined and consistently measured ZS practices (current and future) focused on the identification of patients at high risk of suicide. Stakeholders also described numerous engagement and treatment practices, and some practices intended to support care transitions. However, few engagement and transition practices were systematically measured, and few treatment practices were designed specifically for patients at risk of suicide. CONCLUSIONS: The findings from this study will support large-scale evaluation of the effectiveness of ZS implementation and inform recommendations for implementation of high-quality suicide-related care in health care systems nationwide.

Assisting the School in Responding to a Suicide Death: What Every Psychiatrist Should Know.

When a child or adolescent dies by suicide, many individuals are affected, most of whom are attending school. Child and adolescent psychiatrists can be called on during the wake of such tragic events in order to help schools navigate the difficult tasks following a student suicide. Being familiar with suicide postvention guidelines is crucial for anyone involved in managing the events following a student suicide. By understanding the tenets of suicide postvention and resources that are available to schools and clinicians, the tragedy of suicide can also be an opportunity to improve school mental health and suicide prevention.

Suicide Prevention: An Emerging Priority For Health Care.

Suicide is a significant public health problem. It is the tenth leading cause of death in the United States, and the rate has risen in recent years. Many suicide deaths are among people recently seen or currently under care in clinical settings, but suicide prevention has not been a core priority in health care. In recent years, new treatment and management strategies have been developed, tested, and implemented in some organizations, but they are not yet widely used. This article examines the feasibility of improving suicide prevention in health care settings. In particular, we consider Zero Suicide, a model for better identification and treatment of patients at risk for suicide. The approach incorporates new tools for screening, treatment, and support; it has been deployed with promising results in behavioral health programs and primary care settings. Broader adoption of improved suicide prevention care may be an effective strategy for reducing deaths by suicide.