Brief Therapy ASSIP Influences Coping Among Patients with a History of Attempted Suicide
The development of individual coping strategies for suicidal crises is essential for suicide prevention. However, the influence of a brief intervention and the effect on coping strategies is largely unknown. This study aims to investigate the long-term association between coping behaviour and suicidal ideation in a clinical high-risk sample of the Attempted Suicide Short Intervention Program (ASSIP) evaluation study. In this secondary analysis of a 24-month follow-up randomised controlled study, 120 patients (55% female; mean age of 36) with a history of suicide attempts were randomly allocated to the ASSIP group or to a control group, both added to treatment as usual. The present study identifies an 11% reduction in dysfunctional coping in the ASSIP group and a 6% increase in problem-focussed coping compared to the control group after 24-months. Broader categories of dysfunctional coping showed a significant interaction between the ASSIP group and the control group regarding self-distraction, after 12-months, and self-blame, after 24-months. In the ASSIP group, active coping and substance use were associated with a reduction in Beck Scale for Suicide Ideation (BSS) scores. In the control group (CG), behavioural disengagement and positive reframing were positively and self-distraction was negatively related to suicidal ideation. These results indicate that ASSIP has an influence on coping behaviour. Thus, the development of new problem-focussed coping strategies is crucial, although a reduction in dysfunctional coping (e.g. self-blame) seems to be essential in overcoming suicidal crises long-term.