Can Outcomes of a Chat-Based Suicide Prevention Helpline Be Improved by Training Counselors in Motivational Interviewing? A Non-randomized Controlled Trial
ObjectiveTo examine whether the outcomes of a chat-based suicide-prevention helpline could be improved by training counselors in motivational interviewing (MI).MethodsIn a pre- and post-test design, visitors of a chat-based suicide prevention helpline received either the Five-Phase Model (treatment...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2022-06-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Digital Health |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fdgth.2022.871841/full |
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| author | Wilco Janssen Jeroen van Raak Yannick van der Lucht Wouter van Ballegooijen Wouter van Ballegooijen Saskia Mérelle |
| author_facet | Wilco Janssen Jeroen van Raak Yannick van der Lucht Wouter van Ballegooijen Wouter van Ballegooijen Saskia Mérelle |
| author_sort | Wilco Janssen |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | ObjectiveTo examine whether the outcomes of a chat-based suicide-prevention helpline could be improved by training counselors in motivational interviewing (MI).MethodsIn a pre- and post-test design, visitors of a chat-based suicide prevention helpline received either the Five-Phase Model (treatment as usual [TAU]) or MI. They completed a pre- and post-chat questionnaire on several suicide-related risk factors. Linear mixed modeling was used to estimate the effect of the condition. Furthermore, the treatment proficiency of newly trained counselors was assessed using MI-Scope.ResultsA total of 756 visitors and 55 counselors were included in this study. The visitors showed an improvement in suicidal ideation and psychological risk factors after a chat conversation. However, there were no significant differences between the MI and TAU conditions (β = 0.03, 95% CI [−0.23–0.30], p = 0.80). The treatment integrity indices showed that the counselors mostly used MI-consistent techniques but were unable to strategically employ these techniques to evoke enough change talk.ConclusionsMI and TAU led to comparable outcomes in a chat-based suicide prevention helpline. The effectiveness of MI might improve by intensifying or improving the training of counselors, keeping the process of engaging more concise or offering visitors multiple sessions of MI. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-12T16:41:24Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-e282243999bf4639b2d083fe70d17293 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2673-253X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-12T16:41:24Z |
| publishDate | 2022-06-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Digital Health |
| spelling | doaj.art-e282243999bf4639b2d083fe70d172932022-12-22T00:18:34ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Digital Health2673-253X2022-06-01410.3389/fdgth.2022.871841871841Can Outcomes of a Chat-Based Suicide Prevention Helpline Be Improved by Training Counselors in Motivational Interviewing? A Non-randomized Controlled TrialWilco Janssen0Jeroen van Raak1Yannick van der Lucht2Wouter van Ballegooijen3Wouter van Ballegooijen4Saskia Mérelle5113 Suicide Prevention, Amsterdam, Netherlands113 Suicide Prevention, Amsterdam, Netherlands113 Suicide Prevention, Amsterdam, NetherlandsDepartment of Clinical, Neuro and Developmental Psychology, Faculty of Behavioural and Movement Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, NetherlandsDepartment of Psychiatry, Amsterdam UMC, Amsterdam, Netherlands113 Suicide Prevention, Amsterdam, NetherlandsObjectiveTo examine whether the outcomes of a chat-based suicide-prevention helpline could be improved by training counselors in motivational interviewing (MI).MethodsIn a pre- and post-test design, visitors of a chat-based suicide prevention helpline received either the Five-Phase Model (treatment as usual [TAU]) or MI. They completed a pre- and post-chat questionnaire on several suicide-related risk factors. Linear mixed modeling was used to estimate the effect of the condition. Furthermore, the treatment proficiency of newly trained counselors was assessed using MI-Scope.ResultsA total of 756 visitors and 55 counselors were included in this study. The visitors showed an improvement in suicidal ideation and psychological risk factors after a chat conversation. However, there were no significant differences between the MI and TAU conditions (β = 0.03, 95% CI [−0.23–0.30], p = 0.80). The treatment integrity indices showed that the counselors mostly used MI-consistent techniques but were unable to strategically employ these techniques to evoke enough change talk.ConclusionsMI and TAU led to comparable outcomes in a chat-based suicide prevention helpline. The effectiveness of MI might improve by intensifying or improving the training of counselors, keeping the process of engaging more concise or offering visitors multiple sessions of MI.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fdgth.2022.871841/fullmotivational interviewing (MI)suicide preventionhelplinetreatment integritytrainingchat |
| spellingShingle | Wilco Janssen Jeroen van Raak Yannick van der Lucht Wouter van Ballegooijen Wouter van Ballegooijen Saskia Mérelle Can Outcomes of a Chat-Based Suicide Prevention Helpline Be Improved by Training Counselors in Motivational Interviewing? A Non-randomized Controlled Trial Frontiers in Digital Health motivational interviewing (MI) suicide prevention helpline treatment integrity training chat |
| title | Can Outcomes of a Chat-Based Suicide Prevention Helpline Be Improved by Training Counselors in Motivational Interviewing? A Non-randomized Controlled Trial |
| title_full | Can Outcomes of a Chat-Based Suicide Prevention Helpline Be Improved by Training Counselors in Motivational Interviewing? A Non-randomized Controlled Trial |
| title_fullStr | Can Outcomes of a Chat-Based Suicide Prevention Helpline Be Improved by Training Counselors in Motivational Interviewing? A Non-randomized Controlled Trial |
| title_full_unstemmed | Can Outcomes of a Chat-Based Suicide Prevention Helpline Be Improved by Training Counselors in Motivational Interviewing? A Non-randomized Controlled Trial |
| title_short | Can Outcomes of a Chat-Based Suicide Prevention Helpline Be Improved by Training Counselors in Motivational Interviewing? A Non-randomized Controlled Trial |
| title_sort | can outcomes of a chat based suicide prevention helpline be improved by training counselors in motivational interviewing a non randomized controlled trial |
| topic | motivational interviewing (MI) suicide prevention helpline treatment integrity training chat |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fdgth.2022.871841/full |
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