The effects on suicide rates of an educational intervention for front-line health professionals with suicidal patients (the STORM Project).
BACKGROUND
The opportunity to study district-wide educational interventions on suicide rates is rarely available. In 1997, the authors carried out a district-wide training programme for primary care, accident and emergency, and mental health workers (47% of eligible staff trained), and demonstrated improvements in skills, attitude and confidence among the recipients of the training.


METHODS
Suicide rates (including definite suicides and undetermined deaths) and population statistics were collected for a district and region of England from official sources from 1993-2001. A before-and-after (1994-1996 and 1998-2000) training intervention analysis was conducted on suicide rates.


RESULTS
The suicide rate in 1994-1996 was 8.8 per 100 000 before our educational intervention and unchanged at 8.6 per 100 000 in 1998-2000 after it (p = 0.783).


CONCLUSIONS
Brief educational interventions to improve the assessment and management of suicide for front-line health professionals in contact with suicidal patients may not be sufficient to reduce the population suicide rate.
Morriss
Richard
R
University of Liverpool, Division of Psychiatry, Royal Liverpool University Hospital, Prescot Street, Liverpool L69 3GA, UK. rmorris@liv.ac.uk
Gask
Linda
L
Webb
Roger
R
Dixon
Clare
C
Appleby
Louis
L
D003863:Depression / Q000175:diagnosis; D004502:Education, Medical, Continuing; D004635:Emergency Medicine / Q000193:education*; D004739:England / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008605:Mental Health Services; D011320:Primary Health Care; D012307:Risk Factors; D013405:Suicide / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D013406:Suicide, Attempted / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000078329:Workforce