Implementation and use of a crisis hotline during the treatment as usual and universal screening phases of a suicide intervention study.
BACKGROUND
Although research suggests that crisis hotlines are an effective means of mitigating suicide risk, lack of empirical evidence may limit the use of this method as a research safety protocol.


OBJECTIVE
This study describes the use of a crisis hotline to provide clinical backup for research assessments.


METHODS
Data were analyzed from participants in the Emergency Department Safety and Follow-up Evaluation (ED-SAFE) study (n=874). Socio-demographics, call completion data, and data available on suicide attempts occurring in relation to the crisis counseling call were analyzed. Pearson chi-squared statistic for differences in proportions were conducted to compare characteristics of patients receiving versus not receiving crisis counseling. P<0.05 was considered statistically significant.


RESULTS
Overall, there were 163 counseling calls (6% of total assessment calls) from 135 (16%) of the enrolled subjects who were transferred to the crisis line because of suicide risk identified during the research assessment. For those transferred to the crisis line, the median age was 40 years (interquartile range 27-48) with 67% female, 80% white, and 11% Hispanic.


CONCLUSIONS
Increasing demand for suicide interventions in diverse healthcare settings warrants consideration of crisis hotlines as a safety protocol mechanism. Our findings provide background on how a crisis hotline was implemented as a safety measure, as well as the type of patients who may utilize this safety protocol.
Butler Hospital and the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. Electronic address: sarias@butler.org.
Sarah A
SA
Arias
Department of Emergency Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
Ashley F
AF
Sullivan
Butler Hospital and the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University.
Ivan
I
Miller
Department of Emergency Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
Carlos A
CA
Camargo
Departments of Emergency Medicine, Psychiatry and Quantitative Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA.
Edwin D
ED
Boudreaux
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003376:Counseling / Q000379:methods*; D003419:Crisis Intervention / Q000379:methods*; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D015277:Hotlines / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012107:Research Design; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013406:Suicide, Attempted; D055815:Young Adult; D000092864:Suicide Prevention
Crisis hotlines; Public health; Research safety protocol; Suicide risk