Effectiveness of post-discharge case management of patients who attempted suicide and self-injurious behavior through mobile messenger counseling
- Author:
Changhee JO
1
;
Youngsuk CHO
;
Gyu Chong CHO
;
Jinhyuck LEE
;
Jongshill LEE
;
In Young KIM
;
Wonhee OH
;
Hongtaek SEO
;
Jungmi KIM
Author Information
1. Department of Emergency Medicine, Hallym University Kangdong Sacred Heart Hospital, College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea. faith2love@hanmail.net
- Publication Type:Original Article
- Keywords:
Suicide;
Self-injurious behavior;
Cell phone
- MeSH:
Ambulatory Care Facilities;
Case Management;
Cell Phones;
Counseling;
Emergency Service, Hospital;
Follow-Up Studies;
Hand;
Humans;
Methods;
Observational Study;
Prospective Studies;
Retrospective Studies;
Self-Injurious Behavior;
Suicide;
Suicide, Attempted
- From:Journal of the Korean Society of Emergency Medicine
2019;30(3):239-247
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:Korean
-
Abstract:
OBJECTIVE: Mobile messengers are becoming common methods to communicate among people in various fields. This study investigated the effectiveness of mobile messengers as a tool for post-discharge case management of emergency department patients who attempted suicide and self-harm. METHODS: This study was a retrospective observational study of data collected prospectively. A total of 327 patients who attempted suicide and self-harm in the emergency department were divided into two groups: a conventional protocol group with a face-to-face or phone call interview and a new protocol group with added mobile messenger counseling. The basic characteristics, such as sex, age, methods of suicide and self-harm attempt, consent for case management, and admission to a ward, were surveyed. The rates of successful case management (transfer to a local community center or follow-up to neuropsychiatric outpatient clinic, or both) were compared as a primary outcome between the two groups. RESULTS: The conventional protocol group was 122 cases and the new protocol group was 205 cases. No significant differences in sex, age, methods of suicide and self-harm attempt, rate of consent to case management, and admission to a ward were observed between the two groups. On the other hand, the total successful management rate in mobile messenger group was higher than that of the other group (P=0.020). CONCLUSION: This study showed that mobile messengers could be an alternative communication tool for the post-discharge case management of patients who attempted suicide and self-injurious behavior. Nevertheless, a well-designed future study might be needed to determine if that method would reduce the reattempt rate.
