The effect of motivational interviewing-based training on the rate of using mental health services and intensity of suicidal ideation in individuals with suicide attempt admitted to the emergency department

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Unless mental health care is provided to suicide attempters after discharge from the emergency department, suicide prevention opportunities may be lost. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of motivational interviewing (MI)-based training on using mental health services and reducing the severity of suicidal thoughts. METHODS: This quasi-experimental study was performed on seventy suicide attempters who had been admitted to the emergency department of three university hospitals in Southeast Iran in 2019. Eligible patients were chosen through convenience sampling, and they were randomly divided into the experimental (n = 35) and control (n = 35) groups. The intervention group received three MI sessions on the day of discharge and the 1(st) week after discharge. Twelve weeks after the intervention, the Beck Scale for Suicidal Ideation and the using mental health services were completed in both the groups. Data were analyzed using Chi-squared test, independent t-test, and paired t-test. RESULTS: While there was no significant difference between the two groups in terms of the mean score of suicidal ideation on the pretest, the experimental group experienced a significant decrease in this respect at the end of the study; thus, this group scored 8.86 ± 5.30, which is considerably lower than that obtained in the control group (15.85 ± 6.65) (P = 0.0001). Furthermore, at the end of the study, the rate of using mental health services increased much more in the experimental group than in the control group (P = 0.01). CONCLUSION: MI training had a significant positive impact on mitigating suicidal ideation and promoting mental health services use. To improve mental health and to better serve suicidal individuals, it is recommended that short-term interventions be developed in the form of post-discharge education for suicidal patients admitted to the emergency department.