A randomized study of 108 participants with recent suicide attempt and borderline personality disorder. The participants were offered either standard treatment (CAMS) or a short dialectical behavioral therapy course from the competence center for suicide prevention in Region H Psychiatry
DRISP: Kate Andreasson Aamund; Merete Nordentoft.
The study has been published in Depression & Anxiety:
In the project Self-Help Online against Suicidal Thoughts (SOS), it was investigated whether internet-based self-help therapy could help people with suicidal thoughts. The study was led by psychologist Charlotte Mühlmann from DRISP in collaboration with colleagues and conducted as a randomized study.
Together with the Danish telephone helpline for suicide prevention (“Livslinien”), 402 adults with suicide thoughts were recruited during 2016-2018. The average age of the participants was 34 years. One third of the participants had previously had a suicide attempt, while 55% were in therapeutic or psychiatric treatment at the time they joined the study.
Half of the 402 participants were randomized to test the online program, while the other half served as a control group, i.e. did not receive the program. The findings showed that after 6 weeks, there was a significant difference; those who had received the self-help program had experienced a reduction of suicidal thoughts, feelings of hopelessness and worries when compared to the control group.
Among the participants who had access to the program, 63% experienced a clinically significant decrease in their suicidal thoughts; corresponding to 6 points on the Beck Scale for Suicidal Ideation, which was the questionnaire used for measuring suicide risk. The significant difference was also present after seven months. Among those surveyed, 78% of the participants rated the program as useful.
You can find the study here: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2774853
The project was supported by the Danish TrygFonden.
DRISP: Charlotte Mühlmann, Trine Madsen, Annette Erlangsen, Merete Nordentoft
Partner:
Many studies on internet-based therapy exclude participants with suicide thoughts. The aim of two studies is to provide an overview of the current practice in the management of suicidality in RCTs of internet interventions for depression and suicide thoughts. Researchers in the field have been found through a literature review and been asked to answer a questionnaire and be interviewed regarding their practices. Based on this overview, best-practice recommendations regarding how to manage suicidality in research on internet interventions for depression was published in 2020.
For more information read https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0165032719323353.
DRISP: Charlotte Mühlmann
Partners:
Different patient groups are seen across psychiatric sectors and it is relevant to know which groups are at imminent risk of suicide. In this project, the risk of suicide is examined according to the highest level of psychiatric service received. The level will be graded according to severity as well as by type of contact, such as psychiatric admission, psychiatric ER visit, psychiatric outpatient, psychiatric medicine.
DRISP: Trine Madsen, Merete Nordentoft, Annette Erlangsen
The Borrelia bacterium, which exists in ticks, can develop into an infectious disease in humans when bitten. This disease is known as lyme disease (or Lyme Borreliosis) Infections have previously been associated with an increased risk of suicidal behavior. Trine Madsen from DRISP has, in collaboration with colleagues, investigated whether Lyme Borreliosis was linked to increased prevalence of psychiatric diseases and suicidal behavior.
Using register data for all persons living in Denmark from 1994 to 2016 (n=6,945,837), patients diagnosed with Lyme Borreliosis were identified based on hospital diagnoses. Their risk of developing psychiatric diseases and suicidal behavior was analyzed.
The results showed that persons who developed Lyme Borreliosis (i.e., an infection after a tick bite) had a 1.3-fold higher rate of psychiatric diseases, as well as a 2-fold higher rate of suicide attempts and a 1.75-fold higher suicide rate when compared to the background population. The highest risk of developing a psychiatric disease was observed within the first 6 months after persons developed Lyme Borreliosis. If the person had had multiple incidents of Lyme Borreliosis, this was associated with an increasing risk of suicide attempts.
In conclusion, the study showed that persons diagnosed with Lyme Borreliosis at Danish hospitals have an increased prevalence of psychiatric diseases, suicide attempts and suicide.
You can find the study here: https://ajp.psychiatryonline.org/doi/10.1176/appi.ajp.2021.20091347
DRISP: Trine Madsen, Merete Nordentoft & Annette Erlangsen
Partners:
Traumatizing events such as exposure to war can affect mental health. After World War I, the term “shell shock” was used to describe the shock effect that individuals who experienced the war may suffer. Although there is an increased awareness of adverse effects for deployed soldiers, stories of individual events, which seem to question the support that provided to veteran soldiers, often find their way to media reports.
To gain deeper insights into the stress experienced by deployed combat soldiers, DRISP has conducted a research project together with the Danish Veteran Center.
The study included more than 12,000 Danish veterans deployed on an international mission in the years 1997-2016 and who participated in a questionnaire survey after returning home. In the survey, they were asked about the level of combat exposure and experiences of the consequences of war. Figures from national registers administered by Statistics Denmark and the Danish Health Authority showed that a total of 83 veterans had had a suicide attempt after returning home. The findings of the study showed that veterans with a higher level of combat exposure have an 8% higher risk of suicide attempt after returning home compared to veterans with a lower level of combat exposure. The findings also confirmed that the increased risk of suicide attempt applied to veterans who, in addition to combat exposure, had symptoms of PTSD and/or depression. No association was found between having witnessed the consequences of war and suicide attempt.
The results point to the importance of attention towards those who have been exposed to combat and subsequently develop PTSD or depression, as this group were at greater risk of later suicide attempt.
You can find the study here: https://www.psychiatrist.com/jcp/trauma/combat-exposure-risk-suicide-attempt-danish-army-military-personnel/
Partners:
In growth mixture
The study has been published in
DRISP: Trine Madsen
Partners:
We found that the risk of suicide is almost twice as high in people who experienced a TBI compared with people who had no TBI records. The risk was especially high in the first period after the TBI incident and
Internationale media
Washington Post
Reuters
ABC News
The Telegraph (
The study has been published in JAMA.
DRISP: Trine Madsen, Merete Nordentoft & Annette Erlangsen
Partners:
International research has shown an increased suicide rate among people in prison. However, studies have yet to address age structural differences. In this
Findings from the study
Link to study
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/13811118.2020.1746943
DRISP: Britt Morthorst, Charlotte Mühlmann, Trine Madsen, Merete Nordentoft
og Annette Erlangsen
Partners
International research has
DRISP: Trine Madsen, Anne Ranning, Annette Erlangsen
Partners
It is estimated that between 50-60% of the people who call helplines for suicide prevention are in an acute crisis, and up to 56% have had a previous suicide attempt. It is therefore important to answer these calls.
The counselors of the Danish telephone helpline for suicide prevention, “Livslinien,” answer more than 14,000 calls per year. However, many calls still go unanswered. DRISP is collaborating with the Danish telephone helpline in an ongoing research project to investigate how many calls are answered and at what times of day the peaks.
In a first research project, the number of calls and characteristics of the people who called Livslinien were investigated. Data on all answered calls in the period 2018-2019 were analyzed. The data material consisted of records that counselors make after each counseling session and included socio-demographic information as well as an assessment of the person’s suicide risk.
Ove a 2-year period, a total of 42,393 calls were answered. In more than half of all calls, the person seeking counseling was evaluated to be at risk of suicide – and in 37% of all calls, the person was considered to be at high risk of suicide.
The study also showed that women, younger people, those with a history of previous suicide attempts, and those who reported problems related to self-harm, mental illness, sexual abuse, substance abuse, and physical health problems were more likely to be considered at risk of suicide, as evaluated by counselors.
The results of the study highlight the importance of helplines for suicide prevention and the need to ensure that these are adequately staffed in order to meet the demand.
You can read the study here: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/13811118.2022.2084005
The project has received funding from the Suicide Prevention Partnership, the Danish Health Authority.
DRISP: Annette Erlangsen
Partners:
Losing a loved one to suicide can be a traumatic and stressful experience, and studies show that bereaved by suicide themselves have an increased risk of stress-related illnesses and suicidal behavior. To determine the burden related to being bereaved, Annette Erlangsen at DRISP is involved in an international research project with researchers from University College London.
The study examined register data on 32,248 individuals living in Denmark who died by suicide in Denmark between 1980 and 2016, as well as identifying their relatives in the form of parents, children, siblings, and partners.
Having lost a loved one to suicide was associated with a 2.8 times higher risk of suicide compared to people who had not lost a loved one. The study also showed that 0.69% of all suicides in Denmark could be prevented if all factors that increase the risk of suicide among relatives of people who have died by suicide could be addressed. This corresponds to 60% of suicides among bereaved by suicide.
Bereaved by suicide have an increased risk of developing suicidal behavior themselves, and, although these suicides only account for a relatively small proportion of the total number of suicides, it is important to provide support to this group.
The project has received funding from the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. You can find the study here: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/acps.13493
DRISP: Annette Erlangsen
Partner:
Every year about 600 suicide deaths and 11,000 suicide attempts are recorded in Denmark.
The project has received support from the Partnership for Suicide Prevention, Danish Health Authority
DRISP: Annette Erlangsen
Partner:
Neurological disorders have severe impacts on people’s lives in terms of both disability and dependency and have been linked to suicide. Yet, a comprehensive overview was lacking. This study examined whether people with specific neurological disorders die by suicide more often than other people. The study was based on the register data covering the entire population of Denmark during 1980-2016.
The findings from study, which was published in JAMA, shows that people with neurological disorders have a 75% higher suicide rate than people with no neurological disorders. Still, suicide deaths are rare events. While the suicide rate for the general population was around 20 per 100,000, the rate for people with neurological disorders is around 40 per 100,000 person-years. One out of 150 persons diagnosed with a neurological disorder dies by suicide. For severe neurological diseases, such as Huntington’s, one out of 61 diagnosed went on to die by suicide. This study is the most comprehensive assessment of neurological disorders’ link to suicide conducted to date.
The study shows that people who have been diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) or Huntington’s disease have a particular high risks, as the suicide rate associated with these disorders is 4-5 times higher than in the general population. People who have been exposed to traumatic brain injury, multiple sclerosis, or epilepsy have a suicide rate, which is double the level of the one found among those with no such disorders.
People with dementia were found to have a 2-3 time higher suicide rate during the first three months after being diagnosed. On the other hand, people who had been diagnosed with dementia more than a year ago were found to have a lower suicide rate than the general population.
– This is the first time we have examined this many different neurological disorders to gain a more detailed understanding of when risk of suicide is pronounced. These insights can help us shape dedicated preventive effort says Dr. Annette Erlangsen, lead author and senior researcher at Danish Research Institute for Suicide Prevention (DRISP). The project has received support from the Psychiatric Research Foundation, Region of Southern Denmark.
Link to study:
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/article-abstract/2760389
DRISP: Annette Erlangsen, Merete Nordentoft
Partners:
People who have had a suicide attempt have a significantly higher risk of repeated suicidal behaviour. MYPLAN was created with the intention of being a self-help tool for management of suicidal crisis. This project consists of 1) a qualitative study of stakeholders on improvements to MYPLAN; 2) a randomized clinical trial to evaluate MYPLAN’s efficacy in reducing suicide intent among persons at risk of suicide, and 3) a person-centered evaluation of the MYPLAN to identify barriers and facilitators to its general implementation. The RCT was initiated in 2019 and is currently ongoing. Following studies have been published :
The project received support from the Danish TRYG Foundation.
Publications
https://trialsjournal.biomedcentral.com
https://www.tandfonline.com
DRISP: Charlotte Mühlmann Kate Andreassen Aamund, Jette Louise S. Larsen, Annette Erlangsen
Partners:
