title: Suicide prevention: evaluation of a pilot intervention in a primary care context.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  From July 2008 to June 2011, 19 Australian Divisions of General Practice piloted specialist services for consumers at risk of suicide within a broader primary mental health program. General practitioners and other mental health staff referred suicidal consumers to specially trained mental health professionals for intensive, time-limited care.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To report the findings from an evaluation of the pilot.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data sources included a purpose-designed minimum data set, which collated consumer-level and session-level data, and a series of structured telephone interviews conducted with Divisional project officers, referrers and mental health professionals.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were 2312 referrals to the pilot; 2070 individuals took up the service. The pilot reached people who may not otherwise have had access to psychological care; over half of those who received services were on low incomes and about one-third had not previously accessed mental health care. Project officers, referrers and mental health professionals were all positive about the pilot and commented that it was meeting a previously unmet need. Consumers appeared to benefit, showing significant improvements in outcomes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This evaluation provides supportive evidence for the effectiveness of a suicide prevention intervention delivered by specially trained mental health professionals in a primary mental health environment.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Health Policy, Programs and Economics, Melbourne School of Population Health , University of Melbourne , Melbourne, Victoria , Australia.
authors.forename: Kylie
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: King
authors.forename: Bridget
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bassilios
authors.forename: Lennart
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Reifels
authors.forename: Justine
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fletcher
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ftanou
authors.forename: Grant
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Blashki
authors.forename: Philip
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Burgess
authors.forename: Jane
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pirkis
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011320:Primary Health Care; D000092864:Suicide Prevention