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An Open Trial of Motivational Interviewing to Address Suicidal Ideation With Hospitalized Veterans
Author(s) -
Britton Peter C.,
Conner Kenneth R.,
Maisto Stephen A.
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
journal of clinical psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.124
H-Index - 119
eISSN - 1097-4679
pISSN - 0021-9762
DOI - 10.1002/jclp.21885
Subject(s) - suicidal ideation , motivational interviewing , psychology , psychiatry , clinical psychology , suicide prevention , randomized controlled trial , poison control , medicine , psychological intervention , medical emergency
Objective: The purpose of this open trial was to test the acceptability of motivational interviewing to address suicidal ideation (MI‐SI) for psychiatrically hospitalized veterans with suicidal ideation, estimate its pre‐post effect size on the severity of suicidal ideation, and examine the rate of treatment engagement after discharge. Methods: Participants received a screening assessment, baseline assessment, one or two MI‐SI sessions, posttreatment assessment, and 60‐day follow‐up assessment. Thirteen veterans were enrolled, 9 (70%) completed both MI‐SI sessions and the posttreatment assessment, and 11 (85%) completed the follow‐up assessment. Results: Participants found MI‐SI to be acceptable. They experienced large reductions in the severity of suicidal ideation at posttreatment and follow‐up. In the 2 months following discharge, 73% of participants completed two or more mental health or substance abuse treatment sessions each month. Conclusions: These preliminary findings suggest that MI‐SI has potential to reduce risk for suicide in psychiatrically hospitalized veterans and that a more rigorous trial is needed. © 2012Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Clin. Psychol. 00:1‐11, 2012.