COLUMBUS, OHIO (WLIO) - Suicide remains a public health concern, as an estimated 703,000 people die by it each year worldwide.
But during the pandemic, professionals thought that remote sessions were good for patients who were considered low risk.
Researchers found that brief cognitive behavioral therapy can reduce suicide attempts by as much as 60%, and those sessions were in person. But during the pandemic, professionals thought that remote sessions were good for patients who were considered low risk, but high-risk patients were considered inappropriate candidates for virtual healthcare due to risk and liability concerns. During the last three years, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center found that the same highly effective treatment could be used through telehealth on high-risk individuals.
“Telehealth is a great option. It allows you to attend therapy appointments with greater confidence, or as far as confidentially. You don’t have to sit in a waiting room. It’s easy to pop on to a call on your lunch break or an hour break during the day and to get care,” says Dr. Justin Baker, psychologist at OSU Wexner Medical Center and College of Medicine.
The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center found that the same highly effective treatment could be used through telehealth on high-risk individuals.
Plus, some patients may prefer telehealth over in-person sessions.
“And once you get really comfortable with the technology, which takes at all of 30 seconds, it doesn’t feel that different than an in-person session. Telehealth isn’t new by any means. The new part is using it with a high-risk population. We know that telehealth is comparable to in-person care here. That patients report that they prefer it in many cases,” adds Dr. Baker.
The study also shows the importance of increasing telehealth treatments to rural and hard-to-reach patients that need help.
Media release from the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Suicide remains a pressing public health concern. An estimated 703,000 people die by suicide each year worldwide, according to The World Health Organization. In 2022, there were 49,449 suicides in the United States.
A new study found that brief cognitive behavioral therapy for suicide prevention—when delivered remotely via video telehealth—reduces suicide attempts and suicidal ideation. Researchers at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center and College of Medicine led the study that is published online in the journal JAMA Network Open.
The randomized clinical trial of 96 U.S. adults with recent suicidal ideation and/or suicidal behavior found that mental health therapists can see high-risk suicidal patients virtually, both safely and effectively. Brief cognitive behavioral therapy is a treatment that has been shown to reduce suicide attempts by as much as 60% when compared to typical mental health care.
However, delivering this treatment remotely via video telehealth had never been tested. Until now. The study was conducted between 2021 and 2023, during the height of the COVID-19 global pandemic.
“The impetus for this research question was the nearly overnight shift from mostly in-person to mostly virtual therapy appointments following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Historically, high-risk patients were considered inappropriate candidates for virtual healthcare due to risk and liability concerns,” said principal investigator and Ohio State clinical psychologist Justin C. Baker, PhD.
“We wanted a way to ensure that those who needed care the most were able to receive care during the pandemic,” said Baker, who is the clinical director of Ohio State’s Suicide and Trauma Reduction Initiative (STRIVE) program.
Participants received one of these therapies:
- brief cognitive behavioral therapy, a suicide-focused treatment that teaches patients how to manage and change distressing emotions and negative thinking
- present-centered therapy, a goal-oriented treatment that helps participants identify adaptive responses to stressors
The study also showed that brief cognitive behavioral therapy led to significant reductions in suicide attempts when compared to present-centered therapy. Reductions in suicidal ideation occurred in both treatments.
Prior effectiveness trials have compared brief cognitive behavioral therapy to typical care, whereas this study compared it to another intervention that has been shown to reduce depression and suicidal thoughts, which is a higher comparison metric, Baker said.
This study provides critical insight into which kinds of treatments are most likely to lead to improved outcomes for those struggling with suicide. It also adds support to the effectiveness of this therapy for reducing suicidal behaviors.
“For those suffering with suicidal thoughts and behaviors, we have good, tested treatments that will lead to significant symptom reduction and improved quality of life,” said study co-investigator Craig Bryan, PsyD, professor in Ohio State’s Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health and director of its Suicide Prevention Program.
“Even with lessening restrictions, many therapists are keeping a portion of their telehealth practice post-pandemic. This study has the potential to increase access to needed evidence-based treatments for those in rural and hard-to-reach areas,” said Bryan, who holds the Trott Gebhardt Philips endowed professorship.
