Effectiveness of a Case Management Algorithm: ALGOS After a Suicide Attempt

Summary

The suicidal behaviors are phenomena eminently multifactorial. It is thus always difficult to define univocal strategies of prevention of suicide repetition, during the emergency stay, i.e. almost in general population. One find 23 clinical trials in this topic in the past 25 years, and 18 are negative. The majority of the positive trials have the concern of being dissociated from an assumption of responsibility of care strictly speaking, to adopt a position "méta", nearer to the concept of "case management": how to remain in contact with the suicide attempter, without forcing it in this every day life, replacing a possible proposing, but assumption of responsibility resources reliable and quickly accessible in the event of at risk situation? Each one of these studies tests devices which seem more appropriate to such or such characteristic of this population, by retaining only simple criteria like the sex, the number of former suicide attempts, the proposal or not for an assumption of responsibility of care, the observance or not with the plan of care. Thus, it would seem interesting to combine these approaches in an algorithm entitled "ALGOS".

Main aim: To test the effectiveness of this algorithm of case management, named "ALGOS", in reducing the number of death by suicide, in terms of reduction of suicide re-attempts and the number of loss of contact patients in the ALGOS group during 6 months period, compared to a control group of suicide attempters treated as usual (i.e. primarily transmitted to the attending physician).

Secondary objectives: To evaluate, according to the method validated by Beecham in 1992, direct medico-economic impact in the year which follows the introduction of algorithm ALGOS. Reduction of the other suicidal behaviors in 6 months (reduction in the full number of suicidal repetitions in each group, evolution of the score of suicidal ideation, etc…). To evaluate the effect of the algorithm, at the 13th month. To study the possible differences within the time in terms of suicidal repetitions in the 2 groups. To propose different profiles of answers according to psychopathology, the number of suicide attempts, suicidal character, the sex,…

Methodology: Comparative simple blind prospective multicentric controlled study

Conditions

• Suicide, Attempted

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

ALGOS algorithm of case management

If the subject survives one 1st SA (first attempter): he leaves the center where he was included with a "chart resource" (crisis card) which contains addresses of the Web sites of associations of prevention of the suicide, as well as an accessible phone number 24/24h. If the subject is not a first attempter : he will be recontacted on the telephone between the 10th and the 21st day following the SA. If the subject is not contacted or little observing in the plan of care, it will receive a series of postcards then regularly, with 4 recoveries: to 2, 3, 4 and 5 months after the attempt.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University Hospital, Lille

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Guillauma VAIVA · University Hospital, Lille

• Michel WALTER · University Hospital, Brest

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

SUPPORTIVE_CARE

Masking

SINGLE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2010-02-28

Primary Completion

2014-07-31

Completion

2014-07-31

Countries

• France

Study Locations