TY - JOUR
T1 - The online treatment of suicidal ideation
T2 - A randomised controlled trial of an unguided web-based intervention
AU - De Jaegere, Eva
AU - van Landschoot, Renate
AU - van Heeringen, Kees
AU - van Spijker, Bregje A.J.
AU - Kerkhof, Ad J.F.M.
AU - Mokkenstorm, Jan K.
AU - Portzky, Gwendolyn
PY - 2019/8
Y1 - 2019/8
N2 - Suicide is a major public health issue, and treatment of suicidal thoughts may contribute to its prevention. Provision of online treatment of suicidal ideation may reduce barriers that suicidal individuals experience in face-to-face treatment. We therefore aimed at evaluating the effectiveness of a web-based intervention targeting a reduction of suicidal ideation. We carried out a two-arm, parallel-design, randomised controlled trial in the general population in Flanders (Belgium) (registered as NCT03209544). Participants who were 18 years or older and experienced suicidal ideation were included. The intervention group (n = 365) received access to the unguided web-based intervention, and the control group (n = 359) was placed on a waitlist. Assessments were carried out at baseline and at 6 and 12 weeks. Participants reported high levels of suicidal ideation, depression, hopelessness, worrying, and anxiety at baseline. Compared to the control group, participants in the intervention group experienced a significant decline in suicidal ideation, depression, hopelessness, worrying, and anxiety both at post-test and at follow-up. An important limitation of the study was a high dropout rate, in particular in the intervention group. Our findings suggest that the online self-help intervention was more effective in reducing suicidal ideation and suicide-related symptoms than a waitlist control in a severely affected population. It can help in filling the gap between crisis help and face-to-face treatment.
AB - Suicide is a major public health issue, and treatment of suicidal thoughts may contribute to its prevention. Provision of online treatment of suicidal ideation may reduce barriers that suicidal individuals experience in face-to-face treatment. We therefore aimed at evaluating the effectiveness of a web-based intervention targeting a reduction of suicidal ideation. We carried out a two-arm, parallel-design, randomised controlled trial in the general population in Flanders (Belgium) (registered as NCT03209544). Participants who were 18 years or older and experienced suicidal ideation were included. The intervention group (n = 365) received access to the unguided web-based intervention, and the control group (n = 359) was placed on a waitlist. Assessments were carried out at baseline and at 6 and 12 weeks. Participants reported high levels of suicidal ideation, depression, hopelessness, worrying, and anxiety at baseline. Compared to the control group, participants in the intervention group experienced a significant decline in suicidal ideation, depression, hopelessness, worrying, and anxiety both at post-test and at follow-up. An important limitation of the study was a high dropout rate, in particular in the intervention group. Our findings suggest that the online self-help intervention was more effective in reducing suicidal ideation and suicide-related symptoms than a waitlist control in a severely affected population. It can help in filling the gap between crisis help and face-to-face treatment.
KW - Online therapy
KW - Randomised controlled trial
KW - Self-help
KW - Suicidal ideation
KW - Suicide
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85066762369&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85066762369&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.brat.2019.05.003
DO - 10.1016/j.brat.2019.05.003
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85066762369
VL - 119
SP - 1
EP - 8
JO - Behaviour Research and Therapy
JF - Behaviour Research and Therapy
SN - 0005-7967
M1 - 103406
ER -
