title: Impact on prisoners of participating in research interviews related to near-lethal suicide attempts.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Prisoners have a high risk of suicide. Research studies have investigated factors contributing to this, some through interviews with survivors of suicide attempts, others with informants such as family and friends of suicide victims. However, there is little information regarding the effects of participating in such interviews.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the effects on participants of taking part in detailed interviews about suicidal behaviour and contributory factors.
  
  
  METHODS
  Case-control studies of 120 prisoners who made near-lethal suicide attempts (cases) and 120 prisoners who had never carried out near-lethal suicide attempts in prison (controls) were conducted. Information regarding effects on prisoners of participating in the interviews was collected using quantitative and qualitative methods.
  
  
  RESULTS
  For both male cases and controls, and female controls, self-reported mood levels improved significantly by the end of the interviews. For female cases, the interviews had no negative effect on their self-reported mood. Whilst some prisoners found the interviews upsetting, nearly all said they were pleased to have participated.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The same researchers carried out the interviews and collected data on the effects of participation. Also, several potential participants were excluded from the study and the likely effect of the interview on them is unknown.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We found little evidence that participation of prisoners in interview-based research on suicidal behaviour has negative effects on them; indeed, it can be beneficial. Inclusion of similar instruments to measure the effects of research participation in future investigations could provide valuable feedback to researchers and ethics committees.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Suicide Research, Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Adrienne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rivlin
authors.affiliation: Centre for Suicide Research, Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Lisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Marzano
authors.affiliation: Centre for Suicide Research, Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, United Kingdom. Electronic address: keith.hawton@psych.ox.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Keith
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hawton
authors.affiliation: Centre for Suicide Research, Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Seena
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fazel
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007406:Interview, Psychological; D008297:Male; D011329:Prisoners / Q000523:psychology*; D013315:Stress, Psychological; D013406:Suicide, Attempted / Q000523:psychology*; D055815:Young Adult