Messages from Manchester: pilot randomised controlled trial following self-harm.

Studies of therapeutic contact following self-harm have had mixed results. We carried out a pilot randomised controlled trial comparing an intervention (information leaflet listing sources of help, two telephone calls soon after presentation and a series of letters over 12 months) to usual treatment...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Kapur, N, Gunnell, D, Hawton, K, Nadeem, S, Khalil, S, Longson, D, Jordan, R, Donaldson, I, Emsley, R, Cooper, J
Format: Journal article
Language:English
Published: 2013
Description
Summary:Studies of therapeutic contact following self-harm have had mixed results. We carried out a pilot randomised controlled trial comparing an intervention (information leaflet listing sources of help, two telephone calls soon after presentation and a series of letters over 12 months) to usual treatment alone in 66 adults presenting with self-harm to two hospitals. We found that our methodology was feasible, recruitment was challenging and repeat self-harm was more common in those who received the intervention (12-month repetition rate 34.4% v. 12.5%).