The way back Information Resources Project

Developing evidence-informed information resources for people who have attempted suicide and their family and friends

Presented by:

Jaelea Skehan - Director, Hunter Institute of Mental Health Susan Beaton - Consultant & beyondblue Suicide Prevention Advisor

Acknowledgements

• Hunter Institute of Mental Health contracted to develop resources with beyondblue.

• Proudly funded with donations from the Movember Foundation.

• The project team included members from the Hunter Institute of Mental Health, beyondblue and two people with lived experience.

• People with lived experience of suicide attempt(s) and their family members participated in the consultation process – with support from Suicide Prevention Australia and beyondblue’s blueVoices.

Background

• It is conservatively estimated that approximately 65,000 Australians make a suicide attempt each year.

• These individuals can experience a range of physical, psychological, emotional and social challenges following the event and are at much higher risk of a further attempt or death by suicide.

• Many of the issues faced by someone who has attempted suicide, such as feelings of guilt and shame, can also be shared by close family members, friends and carers.

• beyondblue identified a gap in evidence-based resources readily available for people who have attempted suicide and their supporting network.

The Way Back project: overview

• Conducted between May 2013 and May 2014.

• Aimed to develop evidence informed written information resources for:

a) people who had attempted suicide

b) Family members and friends

c) specific version for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.*

* not covered in detail in this presentation

Finding your way back: A resource for people who have attempted suicide

Guiding their way back: A resource for people who are supporting someone after a suicide attempt

Finding our way back: A resource for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people after a suicide attempt

The way back project: phases of work

Scans of academic evidence, relevant policies and existing information resources

Consultations with sector stakeholders and people with lived experience

General community resources drafted, reviewed and piloted in two locations

Consultation and development of resources for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples collaboration with Indigenous consultants and review panel

Final reports with conclusions and recommendations to beyondblue

1

2

3

4

5

Step 1: Evidence, policy and resource scan

• There is an evidence gap regarding efficacy and acceptability of information resources targeted to people who have attempted suicide and their families.

• There are different information needs for people who have attempted suicide and their families.

• There are consistent topics currently covered in information resources.

• The information resources should encourage people to connect with formal and informal supports.

• The settings that appear to offer most opportunity are: emergency departments, acute mental health services and community mental health services.

Step 2: Sector consultations (n=30)

• Belief that information resources for people who have attempted suicide and their family members and friends are important.

• There was variable awareness of what resources were available.

• A range of consistent content areas identified

– e.g. normalising feelings, practical tips for communicating with others, seeking help and managing suicidal thoughts if they return.

• There will be specific barriers to overcome in getting the resource distributed in different settings.

Step 3: Consultations with people who have lived experience (n= 37)

* Discussed in the next presentation in more detail

In addition to themes that emerged in response to specific questions, there were two major themes that emerged across all of the questions.

1. Suicide and suicide attempts are highly stigmatised in the community.

“People don’t know how to react … They don’t know whether or not to talk about it … There’s definitely still a stigma.” (person who had attempted suicide)

2. People who are suicidal can be reluctant to disclose their feelings and seek help.

“I was desperate to speak to someone, anyone, about how I was feeling. And I felt I couldn’t and this made it really hard.” (person who had attempted suicide)

Step 4: Resource development and review

Two ‘general community’ information resources were written as short A5 booklets:

1. ‘Finding your way back: A resource for individuals who have attempted suicide’;

2. ‘Guiding their way back: A resource for people who are supporting someone after a suicide attempt’.

Content was written by the Hunter Institute of Mental Health and the project working group and reviewed by an external panel.

• The content was designed to be practical and straightforward.

• Quotes from people with lived experience used throughout.

• Key sections include: – Understanding the initial response;

– Common reactions to a suicide attempt;

– Things to do in the short term;

– Talking about what has happened to others;

– What to do if thoughts about suicide return;

– Looking after yourself;

– Resources and other information.

Step 5: Resource pilot in two locations

• To evaluate the feasibility and effectiveness of distributing the resources through hospital and community mental health settings.

• Draft resources were piloted for six weeks in four (4) hospital and community based mental health services in the Hunter Valley, New South Wales and Darwin, Northern Territory.

• Only a comparatively small number of resources were distributed.

• The available results did, however, indicate that staff and managers felt that the resources met the information needs of service users and that they would be appropriate for distribution in the future.

Step 6: Final content and layout review

Conclusions

• People with lived experience of suicide attempt(s) (including family members and friends) are an important target group for suicide prevention activities.

• People with lived experience of suicide attempt(s) can and should be involved in the development and/ or delivery of suicide prevention strategies.

• Addressing and combating stigma and community discomfort in talking about suicide is an important suicide prevention activity.

Conclusions (cont.)

• A national dissemination and evaluation strategy is needed to embed the resources in practice and promote them to services and communities.

• There is a need for ongoing evaluation and research into the effectiveness of information resources as a suicide prevention and wellbeing strategy.

• The distribution of information resources for people who have attempted suicide and their family members and friends should be part of a broader strategy that empowers people, communities and health services to better support people following a suicide attempt.

Questions?

“After my suicide attempt six years ago, I kept

remembering a quote from Winston Churchill: ‘When

you are going through hell…just keep going’. This gave me great faith that

somehow I would find a way out. Which I did and I’m really enjoying life now.”

Jaelea Skehan

Jaelea.Skehan@hnehealth.nsw.gov.au

Susan Beaton

Susan.beaton4@gmail.com