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Background: There is a lack of information on the cost-effectiveness of suicide prevention interventions. The current study examines the cost-effectiveness of a multifaceted structured intervention aiming to improve adherence to the national suicide practice guideline in comparison with usual implementation., Methods: In the intervention condition, professionals of psychiatric departments were trained using an e-learning supported Train-the-Trainer program. Newly admitted suicidal patients were assessed as soon as their department was trained and at 3 months follow-up. The primary outcome was improvement in suicide ideation. Missing cost and effect data were imputed using multiple imputation. Cost-effectiveness planes were plotted, and cost-effectiveness acceptability curves were estimated., Results: For the total group of suicidal patients (n=566), no effect of the intervention on suicide ideation or costs was found. For a subgroup of depressed suicidal patients (n=154, intervention=75, control=79), mean level of suicide ideation decreased with 2.7 extra points in the intervention condition, but this was not statistically significant. For this subgroup, the intervention may be considered cost-effective in comparison with usual implementation if society is willing to pay≥€ 6100 per unit of effect on the suicide ideation scale extra., Limitations: Considering the cost outcomes, we had almost no cases that were complete, and heavily relied on statistical techniques to impute the missing data. Also, diagnoses were not derived from structured clinical interviews., Conclusions: We presented the first randomized trial (trial registration: The Netherlands Trial Register (NTR3092 www.trialregister.nl)) on cost-effectiveness of a suicide practice guideline implementation in mental health care. The intervention might be considered cost-effective for depressed suicidal patients if society is willing to make substantial investments., (Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Randomized studies examining the effect of training of mental health professionals in suicide prevention guidelines are scarce. We assessed whether professionals benefited from an e-learning supported Train-the-Trainer programme aimed at the application of the Dutch multidisciplinary suicide prevention guideline., Methods: 45 psychiatric departments from all over the Netherlands were clustered in pairs and randomized. In the experimental condition, all of the staff of psychiatric departments was trained by peers with an e-learning supported Train-the-Trainer programme. Guideline adherence of individual professionals was measured by means of the response to on-line video fragments. Multilevel analyses were used to establish whether variation between conditions was due to differences between individual professionals or departments., Results: Multilevel analysis showed that the intervention resulted in an improvement of individual professionals. At the 3 month follow-up, professionals who received the intervention showed greater guideline adherence, improved self-perceived knowledge and improved confidence as providers of care than professionals who were only exposed to traditional guideline dissemination. Subgroup analyses showed that improved guideline adherence was found among nurses but not among psychiatrists and psychologists. No significant effect of the intervention on team performance was found., Limitations: The ICT environment in departments was often technically inadequate when displaying the video clips clip of the survey. This may have caused considerable drop-out and possibly introduced selection bias, as professionals who were strongly affiliated to the theme of the study might have been more likely to finish the study., Conclusions: Our results support the idea that an e-learning supported Train-the-Trainer programme is an effective strategy for implementing clinical guidelines and improving care for suicidal patients., Trial Registration: Netherlands Trial Register (NTR3092 www.trialregister.nl)., (Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: The Internet is used increasingly for both suicide research and prevention. To optimize online assessment of suicidal patients, there is a need for short, good-quality tools to assess elevated risk of future suicidal behavior. Computer adaptive testing (CAT) can be used to reduce response burden and improve accuracy, and make the available pencil-and-paper tools more appropriate for online administration., Objective: The aim was to test whether an item response-based computer adaptive simulation can be used to reduce the length of the Beck Scale for Suicide Ideation (BSS)., Methods: The data used for our simulation was obtained from a large multicenter trial from The Netherlands: the Professionals in Training to STOP suicide (PITSTOP suicide) study. We applied a principal components analysis (PCA), confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), a graded response model (GRM), and simulated a CAT., Results: The scores of 505 patients were analyzed. Psychometric analyses showed the questionnaire to be unidimensional with good internal consistency. The computer adaptive simulation showed that for the estimation of elevation of risk of future suicidal behavior 4 items (instead of the full 19) were sufficient, on average., Conclusions: This study demonstrated that CAT can be applied successfully to reduce the length of the Dutch version of the BSS. We argue that the use of CAT can improve the accuracy and the response burden when assessing the risk of future suicidal behavior online. Because CAT can be daunting for clinicians and applied scientists, we offer a concrete example of our computer adaptive simulation of the Dutch version of the BSS at the end of the paper.

Background: To strengthen suicide prevention skills in mental health care in The Netherlands, multidisciplinary teams throughout the country are trained in the application of the new Dutch guideline on the assessment and treatment of suicidal behavior. Previous studies have shown beneficial effects of additional efforts for guideline implementation on professionals' attitude, knowledge, and skills. However, the effects on patients are equally important, but are rarely measured. The main objective of this study is to examine whether patients of multidisciplinary teams who are trained in guideline application show greater recovery from suicide ideation than patients of untrained teams., Methods/design: This is a multicentre cluster randomized controlled trial (RCT), in which multidisciplinary teams from mental health care institutions are matched in pairs, and randomly allocated to either the experimental or control condition. In the experimental condition, next to the usual dissemination of the guideline (internet, newsletter, books, publications, and congresses), teams will be trained in the application of the guideline via a 1-day small interactive group training program supported by e-learning modules. In the control condition, no additional actions next to usual dissemination of the guideline will be undertaken.Assessments at patient level will start when the experimental teams are trained. Assessments will take place upon admission and after 3 months, or earlier if the patient is discharged. The primary outcome is suicide ideation. Secondary outcomes are non-fatal suicide attempts, level of treatment satisfaction, and societal costs. Both a cost-effectiveness and cost-utility analysis will be performed. The effects of the intervention will be examined in multilevel models., Discussion: The strengths of this study are the size of the study, RCT design, training of complete multidisciplinary teams, and the willingness of both management and staff to participate., Trial Registration: Netherlands trial register: NTR3092.

Background: In 2012, in The Netherlands a multidisciplinary practice guideline for the assessment and treatment of suicidal behavior was issued. The release of guidelines often fails to change professional behavior due to multiple barriers. Structured implementation may improve adherence to guidelines. This article describes the design of a study measuring the effect of an e-learning supported Train-the-Trainer program aiming at the training of the full staff of departments in the application of the guideline. We hypothesize that both professionals and departments will benefit from the program., Method: In a multicenter cluster randomized controlled trial, 43 psychiatric departments spread over 10 regional mental health institutions throughout The Netherlands will be clustered in pairs with respect to the most prevalent diagnostic category of patients and average duration of treatment. Pair members are randomly allocated to either the experimental or the control condition. In the experimental condition, the full staff of departments, that is, all registered nurses, psychologists, physicians and psychiatrists (n = 532, 21 departments) will be trained in the application of the guideline, in a one-day small interactive group Train-the-Trainer program. The program is supported by a 60-minute e-learning module with video vignettes of suicidal patients and additional instruction. In the control condition (22 departments, 404 professionals), the guideline shall be disseminated in the traditional way: through manuals, books, conferences, internet, reviews and so on. The effectiveness of the program will be assessed at the level of both health care professionals and departments., Discussion: We aim to demonstrate the effect of training of the full staff of departments with an e-learning supported Train-the-Trainer program in the application of a new clinical guideline. Strengths of the study are the natural setting, the training of full staff, the random allocation to the conditions, the large scale of the study and the willingness of both staff and management to participate in the study., Trial Registration: Dutch trial register: NTR3092.

Background: Randomised studies examining the effect on patients of training professionals in adherence to suicide guidelines are scarce.Aims: To assess whether patients benefited from the training of professionals in adherence to suicide guidelines.Method: In total 45 psychiatric departments were randomised (Dutch trial register: NTR3092). In the intervention condition, all staff in the departments were trained with an e-learning supported train-the-trainer programme. After the intervention, patients were assessed at admission and at 3-month follow-up. Primary outcome was change in suicide ideation, assessed with the Beck Scale for Suicide Ideation.Results: For the total group of 566 patients with a positive score on the Beck Scale for Suicide Ideation at baseline, intention-to-treat analysis showed no effects of the intervention on patient outcomes at 3-month follow-up. Patients who were suicidal with a DSM-IV diagnosis of depression (n = 154) showed a significant decrease in suicide ideation when treated in the intervention group. Patients in the intervention group more often reported that suicidality was discussed during treatment.Conclusions: Overall, no effect of our intervention on patients was found. However, we did find a beneficial effect of the training of professionals on patients with depression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]