Crisis Intervention Research Articles

"Instead, You're Going to a Friend": Evaluation of a Community-Developed, Peer-Delivered Online Crisis Prevention Intervention.

Online communities promote social connection and can be used for formal peer support and crisis intervention. Although some communities have programs to support their members' mental health, few programs have been formally evaluated. The authors present findings from a mixed-methods evaluation of the Stack Up Overwatch Program (StOP), a digital peer support intervention delivered in an online gaming community. Data were collected from members of the Stack Up Discord server between June and October 2020 and included chat messages, survey responses, encounter forms (documenting information from private interactions between users and peer supporters), and interviews with peer support team members. The authors analyzed data on demographic characteristics, mental health and crises, use of and experiences with StOP, and chat posts. Thematic analysis and descriptive statistics were combined in a joint display table, with mixed-methods findings explained in narrative form. The findings show that StOP provides users in crisis with a source of mental health support when other options have been exhausted and that military and veteran users valued the connections and friendships they formed while using it. Participants reported that StOP met needs for support and connection when formal services were inaccessible or did not meet their needs, and volunteer peer supporters detailed how StOP's design facilitates use of the intervention. Volunteering offered members of the peer support team a "family feeling" facilitated by the unique chat room structure. Community-based crisis prevention programs administered through chat rooms may provide valuable support to both users and peer support providers.

Examining school crisis plan components using the comprehensive crisis plan checklist—Second edition

AbstractCreating a plan for crisis prevention, intervention, and postvention procedures allows schools to prepare for the traumatic consequences when a crisis inevitably occurs. The comprehensive crisis plan checklist—second edition (CCPC‐2; McCleary & Aspiranti, 2020) is a 102‐item tool created for evaluating individual school and district crisis plans. The current study examined existing crisis plans from school districts across the United States to determine the amount and type of CCPC‐2 items that are present within school crisis plans. The number of CCPC‐2 items represented on the 73 plans evaluated ranged from 0 to 67 with a mean of 22.29 items. The average number of plans that included a single item on the CCPC‐2 was 16. There were no significant differences in the number of CCPC‐2 items represented across different geographic locations, urbanicity (urban, suburban, rural), or district/school‐level plan type. Discussion focuses on how crisis teams within the schools can use the CCPC‐2 when creating, reviewing, or revising their district‐ or school‐level crisis plan.

Perioperative/postoperative anxiety and its interventions in gynecological cancers: a comprehensive review of clinical evidence.

Gynecological cancers are prevalent malignancies among females, and surgical intervention is the primary therapeutic approach offering the possibility of a definitive cure. Recent research has highlighted the susceptibility of gynecological cancer patients to experiencing anxiety symptoms during the perioperative and postoperative phases, with this psychological condition being linked to suboptimal recovery following surgery. Nevertheless, certain interventions have shown promise in mitigating perioperative and postoperative anxiety in gynecological cancer patients. In this study, we conducted a comprehensive review to collect the existing evidence on this subject. Through a systematic search across six common databases, we screened and included 28 pertinent studies. The current review emphasizes the elevated occurrence of perioperative and postoperative anxiety among patients with gynecological cancers (i.e., uterine, cervical, ovarian, endometrial, and vulval cancers). Specific nursing interventions (i.e., crisis intervention nursing, multidisciplinary collaborative continuous nursing, psychological nursing, comprehensive psychological nursing, reminiscence therapy involved care, cognitive behavioral stress management, hospital-family integrated continuation nursing, high-quality nursing care, relaxation-focused nursing program, and relaxation/counseling intervention) and psychotropic medications may serve as dependable approaches to mitigate perioperative and postoperative anxiety. This study represents a novel contribution to the literature by providing a characterization of perioperative and postoperative anxiety in the context of gynecological oncology. The findings underscore the significance of addressing perioperative and postoperative anxiety as a critical clinical concern for individuals with gynecological cancers, emphasizing the need for further research to develop effective interventions.

The Enlightenment of a Counseling Case for Mental Health Education among Graduate Students

Psychological crisis intervention is a critical aspect of mental health education. A case study is present on the psychological crisis resulting from academic pressure among graduate students and the use of the Satir model is proposed for crisis intervention. Additionally, there are recommended to strengthen life and frustration education for graduate students, emphasize the importance of training graduate tutors in mental health knowledge and skills, assist graduate students in improving their mental resilience, and enhance their interpersonal skills.

Forgotten interventions to promote relational health to prevent child maltreatment

Harsh parenting and intimate partner violence increased during the pandemic. However, pediatrician-led evidence-based models that link primary care, home visiting, and child maltreatment prevention have been neglected, despite C. Henry Kempe’s successful programs from 1971 to 1973. The Kempe randomized trial included comprehensive pediatric follow-up by a single physician and a lay health visitor whenever indicated, and/or weekly visits by a public health nurse in the home 50 years ago. The interventions responded to abnormal parenting practices and early warning signs during pregnancy, labor and delivery, and postnatally and reduced the hospitalization for serious injuries among those 2 years old. The Kempe trial was not cited in many publications but only 402 times in Google Scholar in October 2023. Kempe's call for promoting emotional health and parent bonding 40 years ago was echoed in the American Academy of Pediatrics’ Bright Futures and Policy Statements on Promoting Relational Health in 2021. Relational health is a strengths-based approach, which can promote safe, stable, and nurturing relationships, buffer adversity, and build resilience. Screening for relational health should be integrated into Obstetric and Pediatric Care, and home visitation should become linked to primary care as a basic health benefit. Pediatric care must be transformed based on the evidence in the Kempe trial, focus on promoting primary prevention and trusted relationships from pregnancy on, and engage community resources to address unmet social needs, enabling integrated behavioral health, and changing financial incentives that now prioritize procedures and crisis interventions over cognitive services and prevention. The education and training of future pediatricians needs to emphasize the importance of relational health in the family, and the moment is now to collaborate and implement these forgotten interventions.

Psychological Techniques in Crisis Negotiation

Aim: Crisis negotiation is a very effective police tool for the successful and peaceful resolution of various types of crisis interventions, with different types of interventions being the focus of this review. Materials and Methods: One of the most effective communication skills negotiators use is active listening. Active listening involves focusing attention on what the person is saying without judging, while non-verbally and verbally letting the person know that he is being listened to. In the negotiation context, it calms the perpetrator, encourages him to talk, enables rapport building between the negotiator and the perpetrator, and encourages a change in the perpetrator’s behaviour. Results: Techniques that are most effective in crisis negotiation are paraphrasing, mirroring, “I” messages, minimal encouragements, pause, open-ended questions and emotion labelling. The paper also describes important factors for the effective use of active listening in crisis negotiation. Conclusion: Important factors for the effective use of active listening in crisis negotiation are non-judgmental acceptance, rapport building, maintaining dignity, authenticity, and empathy.

Call Centre Influence on the Delivery of Mental Health Services Among Young People: A Case of One2one Call Centre in Nairobi County

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of call centers on the delivery of mental health services among young people in Nairobi County. Specifically, the study aimed to investigate the impact of crisis intervention, round-the-clock availability, resource sharing, and follow-ups on mental health service delivery. Methodology: The study employed a descriptive-cross-sectional research design to assess the impact of call centers on mental health service delivery. The target demographic consisted of healthcare providers affiliated with the one2one Call Centre in Nairobi County. A sample size of 112 respondents was selected using basic random selection methods. Data was collected through the distribution of questionnaires, and Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) version 25 was utilized for data analysis. Descriptive statistics such as mean, standard deviation, frequencies, and percentages were employed, along with correlation and regression analysis to evaluate the relationships between research variables. Findings: The study found that crisis intervention, round-the-clock availability, and resource sharing had a positive impact on the delivery of mental health services among young people in Nairobi County. Specifically, crisis intervention strategies were shown to significantly enhance the overall mental health support system, ensuring timely assistance for young individuals in need. Furthermore, maintaining round-the-clock availability allowed service providers to cater to the diverse needs and schedules of young people seeking assistance, thereby improving the overall delivery of mental health services across the county. Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice, and Policy: This study makes several contributions to theory, practice, and policy in the field of mental health service delivery. Firstly, it adds to the body of literature on the effectiveness of call centers in enhancing accessibility and reachability of mental health services, particularly among young people. Secondly, the findings provide valuable insights for healthcare practitioners and policymakers on the importance of crisis intervention, round-the-clock availability, and resource sharing in improving mental health service delivery.

Scientific uncertainty and the challenges of applying criminal law: Lessons from China's COVID-19 response

This study addresses the complexities of applying criminal law during public health emergencies, particularly under the shadow of scientific uncertainty, and explores the challenge of balancing public health protection with individual rights. The primary aim is to dissect the application of criminal law in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic in China, focusing on the impact of scientific uncertainty on legal decision-making and the efficacy of criminal law interventions in public health crises. This study utilized a doctrinal method combined with case studies, integrating theoretical frameworks on risk and uncertainty with an analysis of China's legal responses to COVID-19. It involved assessing legislative and policy documents alongside judicial decisions, focusing on their alignment with evolving scientific understanding and public health strategies. The study reveals significant hurdles, including the limitations of empirical rules in judicial judgments, the emergence of technocratic bureaucracy, and the complexities surrounding risk mitigation and legal attribution under uncertain conditions. It highlights the inadequacy of traditional criminal law mechanisms to respond dynamically to the evolving landscape of public health emergencies. To address these challenges, the study recommends the development of temporary criminal legislation tailored to public health emergencies, the adoption of risk-based criminal law approaches, and the refinement of individualized risk assessment procedures. These measures aim to provide a more flexible and effective legal framework capable of safeguarding public health while ensuring the protection of individual liberties during crises.

Patient's Experiences of a Cognitive Behaviour Therapy Informed Crisis Intervention for Psychosis Delivered in Inpatient Settings: A Qualitative Exploration.

Cognitive behaviour therapy for psychosis (CBTp) should be offered to patients receiving psychiatric inpatient care, yet very little is known about patients' perspectives on this. The aim of this study was to examine patients' experiences of a CBTp-informed intervention delivered in inpatient settings. We recruited 10 participants from the intervention arm of a randomised controlled trial examining the feasibility and acceptability of a CBTp-informed intervention for psychiatric inpatient settings. We undertook semistructured interviews examining their experiences of the intervention and analysed them using thematic analysis. The study was conducted in partnership with a coproduction group of key stakeholders (people with lived experience, family and carers,and clinicians). The intervention was found helpful by almost all participants, and all participants would recommend it to others in similar situations to themselves. The results demonstrated that participants valued the therapist's professionalism and emphasised the importance of the therapeutic relationship. Participants highlighted the importance of the therapy focusing on navigating admission and developing skills to manage the crisis experience so they could return to their normal lives. Participants described challenges to having psychological therapy in the acute crisis context including therapy interruptions and ongoing distressing experiences of psychosis. The study demonstrated the importance of prioritising the therapeutic relationship, that therapy was a valued process to navigate admission and discharge, but that some environmental and patient-level challenges were present. Further research is needed to explore inpatients' experiences of psychological interventions in this setting. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ISRCTN trial registry: ISRCTN59055607.

SAFE SPACE: A SUICIDE PREVENTION HELPLINE

Abstract – The rising incidence of suicide represents a profound public health crisis that demands immediate and effective intervention. Safe Space is an innovative suicide prevention helpline designed to offer timely, compassionate, and effective support to individuals in crisis. This project aims to establish a robust, accessible helpline service leveraging both human empathy and advanced technologies to provide comprehensive care and intervention. Safe Space operates through a structured, multi-tiered approach to manage incoming calls from individuals experiencing suicidal thoughts. The process begins with call reception, where trained counselors conduct an initial assessment to evaluate the caller’s immediate risk level. Based on this assessment, callers are categorized into low, medium, or high-risk groups, guiding the subsequent intervention steps. For low-risk callers, Safe Space provides emotional support, coping strategies, and referrals to local mental health resources. Medium-risk callers receive personalized safety plans and involvement from trusted individuals in their support network. High-risk callers are provided with immediate crisis intervention, including activating emergency services if necessary. KEYWORDS – Node.js, Tailwind CSS, JavaScript, Rental Accommodation, Mess Facilities, Web-Based Platform.

Effectiveness of Community-Based Psychosocial Crisis Intervention in Elderly and Future Research Directions: Scoping Review

Effectiveness of Community-Based Psychosocial Crisis Intervention in Elderly and Future Research Directions: Scoping Review

Implicit measures of suicide vulnerability: Investigating suicide-related information-processing biases and a deficit in behavioral impulse control in a high-risk sample and healthy controls

ObjectiveRelevant implicit markers of suicidal thoughts and behaviors (STBs) have only been studied in isolation with mixed evidence. This is the first study that investigated a suicide attentional bias, a death-identity bias and a deficit in behavioral impulsivity in a high-risk sample and healthy controls. MethodWe administered the Death Implicit Association Test, the Modified Suicide Stroop Task, and a Go/No-Go Task to inpatient suicide ideators (n = 42), suicide attempters (n = 40), and community controls (n = 61). ResultsSuicide ideators and attempters showed a suicide attentional bias and a death-identity bias compared to healthy controls. Ideators and attempters did not differ in these implicit information-processing biases. Notably, only attempters were more behaviorally impulsive compared to controls; however, ideators and attempters did not significantly differ in behavioral impulsivity. Moreover, implicit scores were positively intercorrelated in the total sample. ConclusionIn line with the Cognitive Model of Suicide, ideators and attempters display suicide-related information processing biases, which can be considered as implicit cognitive markers of suicide vulnerability. Furthermore, attempters have elevated levels of behavioral impulsiveness. These results are highly relevant in the context of crisis intervention strategies and warrant further research.

Oncological Disease and Pregnancy Denial: Psychological Support and Interdisciplinary Collaboration

In the following casuistry, a denied advanced pregnancy was discovered during the diagnosis of an oncological disease. Faced with a life-threatening condition, the patient urged late termination of the pregnancy and was introduced to psychological counselling in order to find a viable and ethically justifiable solution. Strategies for crisis intervention and supportive approaches in the patient's care as well as interdisciplinary collaboration are presented and discussed.

Support for people in mourning. The role of a social worker

Death is accessible, which directly concerns every person, but is also available to their loved ones who experience mouring. Mourning is a long process that covers experience many different feelings and different issues. The aim of the article is to discuss the form of support that a bereaved person can receive, standard support from social welfare institutions as well as from non-governmental organizations. There are many different forms of bereavement support in the social welfare system that may be available, such as financial support, specialist support (legal, psychological, family), crisis intervention, participation in support groups and help from a family assistant. However, there is a lack of in-depth scientific research among bereaved people and among social workers who provide support in practice and available analyzes show some gaps in the bereavement support system. Non-governmental organizations play an important role in helping adults and children in mourning.

Contemporary issue: Starting nurse suicide prevention during pre-licensure education

BackgroundUndergraduate nursing students are at a high risk for mental health challenges, suicidal behaviors, and risk factors. High stress levels and personal and academic pressure may lead to mental health challenges such as depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder in undergraduate nursing students. Nursing students experience barriers to mental health such as lack of support, academic burnout, and stigma. AimThis paper presents the components for a comprehensive suicide prevention plan that nursing faculty can implement into pre-licensure nurse education. MethodThe acrostic “PLAN TO TALK” can be used to create a comprehensive suicide prevention plan that can be implemented by undergraduate nursing faculty. “PLAN” emphasizes creating a trusting environment for students. “TO” focuses on active involvement in suicide prevention education and awareness. “TALK” suggests strategies for faculty to implement within their curriculum. ConclusionAddressing nurse suicide during pre-licensure nurse education is essential. By implementing the “PLAN TO TALK” strategy, faculty can create a safe environment, equip faculty and students with suicide prevention resources and crisis intervention skills, and contribute to the overall mental health of students.

Exploring the Collaborative Intervention Mechanism for Psychological Crisis among College Students: Solving "Danger" and Seeking "Opportunity"

With the intensification of social competition and the acceleration of the pace of life, college students are facing increasing psychological pressure and increasingly prominent psychological problems. Therefore, it is necessary to strengthen the research on early warning and intervention of psychological crises among college students, integrate the forces of family, school, and society, and jointly respond to the psychological crises of college students. This study starts from the perspectives of psychological crisis prevention and intervention, and constructs a five level mechanism of primary prevention, intermediate prevention, advanced prevention, crisis intervention, and post intervention for collaborative intervention of psychological crises among college students. It further clarifies the connotation, concept, standards, and mechanism construction of collaborative work in psychological crisis intervention for college students, which is of great significance for enriching relevant research in this field.

CRISIS INTERVENTION PROGRAM FOR CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS PREVENTING POST-CORONA DELINQUENCY, RESULTS OF A RANDOMISED CONTROLLED TRIAL

Background: A novel Crisis Intervention Program for Children and Adolescents (CIPCA) has shown a positive effect in preventing posttraumatic psychopathology among IDP children. In this study, the effect of CIPCA is examined in a randomised controlled trial. Methods: During the Corona crisis in the city of Duhok in the Kurdistan region of Iraq, 97 of the enrolled 106 children between 6 - 18 years age accepted to participate in this study (response rate 91.5%). In the presence of a parent/caregiver, every participating child was interviewed within the first month after discharge from hospital or quarantine for Corona crisis. Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) was conducted to estimate child behavior problem scores before randomisation to a single one-hour CIPCA intervention or a waiting list. The CBCL interview was repeated 6 months later to estimate changes over time. Results: Delinquency behavior showed a significant difference between CIPCA and the waiting list over time, indicating a positive effect of CIPCA. Conclusions: CIPCA is effective in identifying and preventing post-Corona juvenile delinquency problems. Follow-up is planned to detect any psychopathological development.

Effectiveness of a peer-supported crisis intervention to reduce the proportion of compulsory admissions in acute psychiatric crisis interventions in an outreach and outpatient setting: study protocol for an exploratory cluster randomised trial combined with qualitative methods

IntroductionCompulsory admissions are associated with feelings of fear, humiliation and powerlessness. The number of compulsory admissions in Germany and other high-income countries has increased in recent years. Peer support has...

Early action in the asylum support sector: a scoping review

People seeking asylum often have a range of complex social, emotional and economic needs that may be exacerbated by the hostile reception that they often receive. These needs and the stress of navigating asylum systems leave asylum seekers vulnerable to crisis, with refused asylum seekers particularly vulnerable. Even after receiving settled status of some form, barriers to accessing employment or housing and other services remain, as do the impacts of trauma, abuse, and loss sustained in the country of origin, during flight, or during the wait to receive settled status, again leaving refugees vulnerable to crisis. Early action can both have benefits for the individual asylum seeker and reduce the need for costly crisis interventions. This scoping review explores best practice in early action in the voluntary sector, while identifying gaps in the evidence base.

Decolonising the Selectivity Debate in Military Humanitarian Intervention

Abstract Selectivity is often understood as global powers using military intervention in certain humanitarian crises but not in others based on perceived strategic interests at stake. Though the scholarship has acknowledged selectivity’s practice, more disputed has been its ‘problematic’ ascription. Critics have correctly identified selectivity as a problem of hypocrisy, while advocates have construed it as necessary and even pragmatic. Importantly, however, both camps have premised selectivity as a problem of ‘inaction’ towards ‘non-intervened’ crises. In contrast to this existing ‘bystander complicity’ paradigm of selectivity, this article argues that selectivity must be reinterpreted as a problem of global power ‘active complicity’ to better understand and appreciate its problematic ascription. The proposed active complicity paradigm reveals the neglected colonial and imperial underpinnings within selectivity. It destabilises and challenges the idea that global powers simply ‘stand by’ as onlookers to disassociated, faraway crises, and instead highlights their key role in enabling and perpetuating them.