Efficacy of a short message service brief contact intervention (SMS-SOS) in reducing repetition of hospital-treated self-harm: randomised controlled trial.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Hospital-treated self-harm is common and costly, and is associated with repeated self-harm and suicide.

Aims

To investigate the effectiveness of a brief contact intervention delivered via short message service (SMS) text messages in reducing hospital-treated self-harm re-presentations in three hospitals in Sydney (2017-2019), Australia. Trial registration number: ACTRN12617000607370.

Method

A randomised controlled trial with parallel arms allocated 804 participants presenting with self-harm, stratified by previous self-harm, to a control condition of treatment as usual (TAU) (n = 431) or an intervention condition of nine automated SMS contacts (plus TAU) (n = 373), over 12 months following the index self-harm episode. The primary outcomes were

SUBMITTER: Stevens GJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10884824 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature