OBJECTIVE: To determine whether an intervention using postcards (postcards from the EDge project) reduces repetitions of hospital treated deliberate self poisoning. DESIGN: Randomised controlled trial. SETTING:Regional referral service for general hospital treated deliberate self poisoning in Newcastle, Australia. PARTICIPANTS: 772 patients aged over 16 years with deliberate self poisoning. INTERVENTION: Non-obligatory intervention using eight postcards over 12 months along with standard treatment compared with standard treatment alone. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Proportion of patients with one or more repeat episodes of deliberate self poisoning and the number of repeat episodes for deliberate self poisoning per person in 12 months. RESULTS: The proportion of repeaters with deliberate self poisoning in the intervention group did not differ significantly from that in the control group (57/378, 15.1%, 95% confidence interval 11.5% to 18.7% v 68/394, 17.3%, 13.5% to 21.0%: difference between groups -2%, -7% to 3%). In unadjusted analysis the number of repetitions were significantly reduced (incidence risk ratio 0.55, 0.35 to 0.87). CONCLUSION: A postcard intervention reduced repetitions of deliberate self poisoning, although it did not significantly reduce the proportion of individual repeaters.
RCT Entities:
OBJECTIVE: To determine whether an intervention using postcards (postcards from the EDge project) reduces repetitions of hospital treated deliberate self poisoning. DESIGN: Randomised controlled trial. SETTING: Regional referral service for general hospital treated deliberate self poisoning in Newcastle, Australia. PARTICIPANTS: 772 patients aged over 16 years with deliberate self poisoning. INTERVENTION: Non-obligatory intervention using eight postcards over 12 months along with standard treatment compared with standard treatment alone. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Proportion of patients with one or more repeat episodes of deliberate self poisoning and the number of repeat episodes for deliberate self poisoning per person in 12 months. RESULTS: The proportion of repeaters with deliberate self poisoning in the intervention group did not differ significantly from that in the control group (57/378, 15.1%, 95% confidence interval 11.5% to 18.7% v 68/394, 17.3%, 13.5% to 21.0%: difference between groups -2%, -7% to 3%). In unadjusted analysis the number of repetitions were significantly reduced (incidence risk ratio 0.55, 0.35 to 0.87). CONCLUSION: A postcard intervention reduced repetitions of deliberate self poisoning, although it did not significantly reduce the proportion of individual repeaters.
Authors: E Guthrie; N Kapur; K Mackway-Jones; C Chew-Graham; J Moorey; E Mendel; F Marino-Francis; S Sanderson; C Turpin; G Boddy; B Tomenson Journal: BMJ Date: 2001-07-21
Authors: Deborah A Turnbull; Chris Wilkinson; Karen Gerard; Marian Shanahan; Philip Ryan; Elizabeth C Griffith; Gillian Kruzins; Georgina E Stamp Journal: Lancet Date: 2004-04-03 Impact factor: 79.321
Authors: Daniel L Costin; Andrew J Mackinnon; Kathleen M Griffiths; Philip J Batterham; Anthony J Bennett; Kylie Bennett; Helen Christensen Journal: J Med Internet Res Date: 2009-10-22 Impact factor: 5.428