Predictive role of risk and protective factors before and after suicide intervention therapy

Abstract

While research has increasingly identified risk factors and protective factors, there has been little research into the impact and predictability of these before and after engaging in a therapeutic intervention. This research addressed this by inviting clients attending a suicide intervention charity to complete questionnaires pre- and post-therapy. Items from the Positive and Negative Suicide Inventory were administered by a therapist before therapy had begun, and by an independent researcher one month after therapy had been completed (n = 147). Lower levels of Negative Suicidal Ideation (desire to die) and higher levels of Positive Suicidal Ideation (desire to live) were reported post-therapy. Analysis on protective factors identified three significant differences pre-therapy. The greatest predictor of positive ideation was more frequent physical activity. There were no differences post-therapy. For risk factors, there were five significant differences pre-therapy, with having a plan to die by suicide the greatest predictor of suicidal ideation. Post-therapy there were difference for gender and age. The risk factors that best predicted suicidal ideation pre-therapy were not significant post-therapy, suggesting that risk factors may be moderated by therapeutic intervention. The presence of age and gender as continued risk factors raised questions over the permanence and classification of risk factors, and the potential ability of different intervention approaches to effectively reduce the impact of these factors. This study appears to be the first to explore the presence and persistence of risk and protective factors before and after a therapeutic intervention, and provides a foundation for future research in this area.

Keywords:

• risk factors
• protective factors
• suicide intervention
• therapy
• Pieta House

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

ORCiD

Paul W. G. Surgenor http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2253-4084