Strategies to prevent death by suicide: meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials
Natalie B. V. Riblet, Brian Shiner, Yinong Young-Xu, Bradley V. Watts
The British Journal of Psychiatry Jun 2017, 210 (6) 396-402; DOI: 10.1192/bjp.bp.116.187799
This systematic review of depression prevention strategies identified 72 randomised controlled trials and undertook 6 pooled analyses that showed little effect from most strategies. The World Health Organization (WHO) brief intervention and contact (BIC) was the only intervention associated with significantly lower odds of suicide (OR = 0.20, 95% CI 0.09–0.42). Six RCTs (n = 1040) of cognitive–behavioural therapy (CBT) for suicide prevention and six RCTs of lithium (n = 619) yielded non-significant findings (OR = 0.34, 95% CI 0.12–1.03 and OR = 0.23, 95% CI 0.05–1.02, respectively). Perhaps there will never be a single solution that suits all individuals, however BIC appears to deserve attention.