Postvention Services Research Articles

Cost Effectiveness of a Community-Based Crisis Intervention Program for People Bereaved by Suicide

Postvention services aim to ameliorate distress and reduce future incidences of suicide. The StandBy Response Service is one such service operating in Australia for those bereaved through suicide. Few previous studies have reported estimates or evaluations of the economic impact and outcomes associated with the implementation of bereavement/grief interventions. To estimate the cost-effectiveness of a postvention service from a societal perspective. A Markov model was constructed to estimate the health outcomes, quality-adjusted life years, and associated costs such as medical costs and time off work. Data were obtained from a prospective cross-sectional study comparing previous clients of the StandBy service with a control group of people bereaved by suicide who had not had contact with StandBy. Costs and outcomes were measured at 1 year after suicide bereavement and an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio was calculated. The base case found that the StandBy service dominated usual care with a cost saving from providing the StandBy service of AUS $803 and an increase in quality-adjusted life years of 0.02. Probabilistic sensitivity analysis indicates there is an 81% chance the service would be cost-effective given a range of possible scenarios. Postvention services are a cost-effective strategy and may even be cost-saving if all costs to society from suicide are taken into account.

Living beyond Aboriginal suicide: Developing a culturally appropriate and accessible suicide postvention service for Aboriginal communities in South Australia

Anglicare SA’s Living Beyond Suicide program (LBS) is a postvention service which partners with crisis services such as the police and ambulance who attend each suicide in South Australia and who provide families with an immediate link to the service. LBS workers visit in the hours and days after the suicide, companion survivors through post-suicide processes, and provide a vital link between families and the community. The support given is practical and based on a family’s needs. It is also based on evidence which suggests that postvention services are important in mitigating the negative effects of grief and suicide contagion. Despite the overrepresentation of Aboriginal people in suicide statistics, LBS is signifi cantly underutilised by Aboriginal people. The aim of this research is to investigate how programmes such as LBS can be made more accessible and appropriate for Aboriginal people so that all people in the community have the opportunity to access the service should they experience bereavement through suicide. The project constitutes the beginning of a ‘both ways’, asset-based dialogue, and seeks to enhance the service’s capacity through dialogue with Aboriginal stakeholders, whilst investigating the potential of the service to augment the capacity of Aboriginal people and communities to live beyond suicide. To this end, the research here gathers information from a number of Aboriginal people who have been bereaved by suicide, and Aboriginal service providers who work with people who have been in this situation. It asks whether or not there is a need for a service such as LBS for Aboriginal families and communities and, if so, how the current programme could be modifi ed to make it more accessible and/or appropriate for Aboriginal people. Overarching those service specifi c questions, the project investigates the potential utility of predicating social service provision on a process of ‘walking together’.

Living Beyond Aboriginal Suicide: Developing a culturally appropriate and accessible suicide postvention service for Aboriginal communities in South Australia.

Living Beyond Aboriginal Suicide: Developing a culturally appropriate and accessible suicide postvention service for Aboriginal communities in South Australia.

Suicide Postvention as Suicide Prevention: Improvement and Expansion in the United States

The authors asserted the need for increased postvention efforts for suicide survivors, individuals left behind to grieve the loss of a loved one by suicide, because they have an increased risk for suicide. Indeed, Shneidman (1972) asserted that suicide postvention efforts serve the dual purpose of assisting survivors through the grief process and preventing suicide for future generations. First, the authors briefly discussed the increased risk for suicide among survivors. Second, the authors overviewed the potential benefits of postvention programs and current strategies for suicide postvention in the United States. Finally, they recommended plans for suicide postvention program development such as states should include efforts to create or expand traditional postvention services as well as active survivor outreach to link survivors to these services.

Consumer participation: Ensuring suicide postvention research counts for end users

Primary health-care research is about working with those who have a vested interest in the outcomes of that research, including consumers, service providers and service organizations. This article describes how consumers were included in the research processes of a South Australian study into suicide postvention services, and illustrates important principles to consider when including consumers in research. A concurrent mixed-method approach facilitated the collection of mixed data through the application of questionnaires. The study was conducted in an Australian metropolitan area. Because of media releases, a large number of people rang to enquire and volunteer their participation. From over 200 expressions of interest, 161 individuals participated. The participation of consumers in the research process ensured the findings were relevant for end users. A number of recommendations for the care and support of those bereaved through suicide were developed as a result.

The School's Role in the Prevention of Youth Suicide

This article addresses the problem of suicide among school-age youths and identifies the need for a comprehensive suicide intervention program in the school setting. The three basic components of such a program are described: prevention services to provide education and intervention for all students, intervention services especially for those students at risk for suicide, and postvention services for the survivors following a suicide. The article emphasizes that all three components are necessary to provide an adequate range of services designed for the prevention of youth suicide. The article addresses the necessity for collaboration among staff in a successful suicide intervention program. In particular, the roles of school social worker and school counselor are addressed in terms of a team effort. The issue of confidentiality is discussed with particular attention given to the legal and ethical difficulties that often arise with suicide interventions.

Adolescent School Crises: Structures, Issues and Techniques for Postventions

ABSTRACT After a brief review of the historical progression of postvention services, from a suicide related service to a service for any unexpected death which disrupts a school setting, we discuss intervention structure and process. Issues for school administration, staff, and postvention teams are highlighted. We describe techniques for the preparation of postvention team members.