Motto & Bostrom, 2001: Receiving periodic caring notes from a hospital reduced subsequent suicide rates among at-risk patients over two years
Reference:
Motto, J. A., & Bostrom, A. G. (2001). A randomized controlled trial of postcrisis suicide prevention. Psychiatric services, 52(6), 828-833.
Download PDFSummary:
Receiving a series of caring notes from a hospital following a suicidal or depressive incident (e.g., “Dear___: It has been some time since you were at the hospital, and we hope things are going well for you. If you wish to drop us a note we would be glad to hear from you.”) reduced suicide rates over the next two years from 3.52% to 1.80%.
Psychological Process:
Need
Need to BelongWhat Desired Meaning is At Stake?
What is the Person Trying to Understand?
To Feel Connected, Included, Respected, and Valued by OthersHow?
Psychological Question Addressed
Am I noticed by others?Am I noticed by others?Bolstering beliefs about social connectednessPsychological Question Addressed
Am I noticed by others?Psychological Process 2:
Psychological Process 3:
Heading
Am I noticed by others?Social Area:
Health
Intervention Technique:
Prompting by altering situations