Five-year program will address one of society’s hidden problems
The University of Nebraska Medical Center is one of eight participating sites in a national research study designed to identify ways to improve the detection and prevention of suicide among patients who present to hospital emergency departments (EDs).
The project is being funded through a five-year award from the National Institutes of Mental Health, a division of the National Institutes of Health. The University of Massachusetts Medical School is the lead institution.
The project – called the Emergency Department Safety Assessment and Follow-up Evaluation (ED-SAFE) trial – is expected to enroll 1,440 participants from eight hospitals over five years. At UNMC, up to 180 patients will be enrolled.
The three key objectives are to:
(1) Develop and test a standardized approach to screening ED patients for suicide risk;
(2) Refine and test an ED-initiated intervention to reduce suicidal behavior among people who self-identify or screen positive for contemplating suicide; and
(3) Conduct a cost analysis to compare costs and benefits associated with ED suicide screening and intervention.
“Suicide is something that flies under the radar screen, but it’s a problem that needs to be addressed,” said Wesley Zeger, D.O., who is heading the research project at UNMC.
In 2007, the most recent year for which data are available, Dr. Zeger said suicide was:
- the 11th leading overall cause of death;
- the third leading cause of death in people aged 1 to 24;
- the fourth leading cause of death in people between age 25 and 44;
- the cause of death in 76 people in Nebraska.
He said three people per day with a primary psychiatric diagnosis are seen in the emergency room of The Nebraska Medical Center, UNMC’s hospital partner.
Dr. Zeger said there have been relatively few controlled trials which evaluate interventions to reduce suicidal behavior. The ED setting is well-suited for this type of research, he said. In 2006 there were more than 500,000 ED visits related to intentional self-harm, and it’s estimated that between 3 and 8.4 percent of ED patients have suicidal thoughts.
In addition to UNMC, the other seven participating sites are:
- UMass Marlborough Hospital (Worcester, Mass.);
- Memorial of Rhode Island (Pawtucket, R.I.);
- University of Colorado (Denver);
- Beth Israel Deaconess (Boston);
- Maricopa Integrated Health (Phoenix);
- Ohio State (Columbus); and
- University of Arkansas (Little Rock).
The study will be coordinated by the Emergency Medicine Network (EMNet) and led by a team of investigators, including Edwin D. Boudreaux, Ph.D., University of Massachusetts Medical School, Carlos A. Camargo, Jr., M.D., Ph.D., Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, and Ivan Miller, Ph.D., Butler Hospital, Providence, R.I.
Through world-class research and patient care, UNMC generates breakthroughs that make life better for people throughout Nebraska and beyond. Its education programs train more health professionals than any other institution in the state. Learn more at unmc.edu.