Background: One of the most effective interventions to prevent suicide is restriction of access to commonly used methods of suicide. Hanging and self-poisoning are leading methods of suicide, worldwide and in Scotland.
Aims: To generate evidence for the development of best-practice guidelines for interventions to prevent suicide by hanging and self-poisoning (stage 1) and to explore the implementibility of these guidelines in Scotland (stage 2).
Methods: Stage 1: In round 1, a panel (n=47) of internationally recognised health professionals, suicide researchers and people with lived experience was given a summary of available evidence on interventions to prevent suicide by hanging and self-poisoning, together with open questions intended to identify actions with the potential to prevent suicide by these methods. In round 2, a list of action items developed by qualitative thematic analysis was distributed to a wider expert panel (n=152). Panel members were asked to rate indicate whether they thought each statement (action item) should be included in the guidelines according to its potential to contribute to effective suicide prevention with the leading statements identified for possible inclusion in the guidelines. Stage 2: Targeted sampling is being used to recruit participants from the same three groups (n= 20 participants per group) who are residents of Scotland. Participants will complete an online questionnaire designed to assess the perceived implementability in the Scottish context of the action items identified in stage 1. Seven operationally defined criteria (acceptability, appropriateness, cost-effectiveness, feasibility, impact, scalability, and sustainability) have been developed against which the implementability of each identified action item will be assessed. Data collection is in progress and will be completed in April 2024.
Results: Stage 1: 195 action items were indicated as potentially effective suicide prevention interventions. Of these items, 35 unique items (nine related to self-poisoning, 26 related to hanging) were identified. Most included items were at the universal prevention level and focused on psychoeducation.
Conclusion: The study findings will be used to develop best-practice guidelines on the prevention of suicide by hanging and self-poisoning in Scotland and globally. The target recipients of the guidelines are governments, public health agencies and practitioners.