title: A social work contribution to suicide prevention through assertive brief psychotherapy and community linkage: use of the Manchester Short Assessment of Quality of Life (MANSA).
abstract: There is a striking absence of literature articulating and evaluating clinical social work contributions to suicide prevention, despite considerable practice in this important field. This article reports on a model of assertive brief psychotherapeutic intervention and facilitated linkage to community services utilized in a prospective cohort study of emergency department suicide attempt aftercare. A key outcome measure, the Manchester Short Assessment of Quality of Life (MANSA), was used with 65 patients to assess psychosocial domains at initial presentation, 4-weeks, 3-months, and 6-months. There were significant improvements in the domains of work, finance, leisure, social life, living situation, personal safety and health by 3 months. There were highly significant correlations between psychosocial improvements and improved depression scores.
authors.affiliation: Department of Social Work, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing & Health Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. melissa.petrakis@monash.edu
authors.forename: Melissa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Petrakis
authors.forename: Lynette
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Joubert
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000368:Aged; D003156:Community Mental Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D003863:Depression / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011614:Psychotherapy, Brief / Q000379:methods*; D011788:Quality of Life; D012947:Social Work / Q000379:methods*; D013405:Suicide / Q000523:psychology*; D014937:Work / Q000523:psychology; D055815:Young Adult; D000092864:Suicide Prevention