Release Date: 05/03/2017

The results of a clinical trial involving nearly 1,400 suicidal patients in the emergency departments of eight hospitals was recently published in JAMA Psychiatry. Lead on the study is Ivan Miller, a Butler Hospital psychologist and a professor of psychiatry and human behavior at the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. As corresponding author along with 14 other author’s, the team found that a multifaceted intervention lowered the relative risk of new suicide attempts by 20 percent.

In results, emergency department (ED) patients who received the intervention composed of specialized screening, safety planning guidance and periodic follow-up phone check-ins made 30 percent fewer total suicide attempts compared to people who received standard ED care. “We were happy that we were able to find these results,” said Miller. “We would like to have had an even stronger effect, but the fact that we were able to impact attempts with this population and with a relatively limited intervention is encouraging.” Also from Butler are contributors Drs. Brandon Gaudiano, Lisa Uebelacker and Lauren Weinstock.

Last week, the study, likely the largest intervention trial conducted so far in the U.S., began receiving national coverage in the media; read Brown’s full news release for more details.

About Butler Hospital

Butler Hospital, a member of Care New England, is the only private, nonprofit psychiatric and substance abuse hospital serving adults, seniors and adolescents in Rhode Island and southeastern New England. Founded in 1844, it was the first hospital in Rhode Island and has earned a reputation as the leading provider of innovative psychiatric treatments in the region. The Major Affiliated Teaching Hospital for Psychiatry and Behavioral Health at The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Butler is recognized worldwide as a pioneer in conducting cutting-edge research.