title: Effect of a Suicide Prevention Centre for young people with suicidal behaviour in Copenhagen.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In the 1980s, suicide rates in Denmark were among the highest in the world. In 1992, a Suicide Prevention Centre was opened in Copenhagen with a 2-week programme of social and psychological treatment. The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of the Suicide Prevention Centre.
  
  
  METHODS
  In a quasi-experimental study, 362 patients in the Suicide Prevention Centre and a parallel comparison group of 39 patients were interviewed with European Parasuicide Study Interviewer Schedule I (EPSIS I), which is a comprehensive interview including several validated scales. All patients were invited to follow-up interviews with EPSIS II and followed in the National Patients Register and the Cause of Death Register.
  
  
  RESULTS
  At the 1-year follow-up, 59% of patients in the intervention group and 53% of patients in the comparison groups were interviewed with EPSIS II. The intervention group obtained a significantly greater improvement in Beck's Depression Inventory, Hopelessness Scale, Rosenberg's Self-Esteem Scale and CAGE-score and a significantly lower repetition rate.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although the design cannot exclude selection bias, it seems likely that the improvement in the intervention group was facilitated by the treatment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Copenhagen University Hospital Bispebjerg, Bispebjerg Bakke 23, 2400 Copenhagen NV, Denmark. merete.nordentoft@dadlnet.dk
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nordentoft
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Branner
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Drejer
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Mejsholm
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hansen
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Petersson
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002391:Catchment Area, Health; D003718:Denmark / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012042:Registries; D016728:Self-Injurious Behavior / Q000401:mortality; D013405:Suicide / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D013406:Suicide, Attempted / Q000523:psychology; D015996:Survival Rate; D000092864:Suicide Prevention