title: ALGOS: the development of a randomized controlled trial testing a case management algorithm designed to reduce suicide risk among suicide attempters.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Suicide attempts (SA) constitute a serious clinical problem. People who attempt suicide are at high risk of further repetition. However, no interventions have been shown to be effective in reducing repetition in this group of patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Multicentre randomized controlled trial. We examine the effectiveness of "ALGOS algorithm": an intervention based in a decisional tree of contact type which aims at reducing the incidence of repeated suicide attempt during 6 months. This algorithm of case management comprises the two strategies of intervention that showed a significant reduction in the number of SA repeaters: systematic telephone contact (ineffective in first-attempters) and "Crisis card" (effective only in first-attempters). Participants who are lost from contact and those refusing healthcare, can then benefit from "short letters" or "postcards".
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  ALGOS algorithm is easily reproducible and inexpensive intervention that will supply the guidelines for assessment and management of a population sometimes in difficulties with healthcare compliance. Furthermore, it will target some of these subgroups of patients by providing specific interventions for optimizing the benefits of case management strategy.
authors.affiliation: Département Universitaire de Psychiatrie & Pole de l'Urgence, Lille University Hospital, Lille, France. guillaume.vaiva@chru-lille.fr
authors.forename: Guillaume
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Vaiva
authors.forename: Michel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Walter
authors.forename: Abeer S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Al Arab
authors.forename: Philippe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Courtet
authors.forename: Frank
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bellivier
authors.forename: Anne Laure
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Demarty
authors.forename: Stephane
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Duhem
authors.forename: Francois
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ducrocq
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Goldstein
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Libersa
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000465:Algorithms; D019090:Case Management / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000592:standards*; D003419:Crisis Intervention / Q000592:standards; D003663:Decision Trees; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D012107:Research Design; D018570:Risk Assessment; D055502:Secondary Prevention; D013405:Suicide / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D013406:Suicide, Attempted / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D000092864:Suicide Prevention