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Evaluation of out-patient counselling compared with general practitioner care following overdoses

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 July 2009

Keith Hawton ,
Steve McKeown ,
Alexandra Day ,
Pauline Martin ,
Marianne O'Connor  and
Jackie Yule
Keith Hawton*
Affiliation:
University Department of Psychiatry, Warneford Hospital, Oxford
Steve McKeown
Affiliation:
University Department of Psychiatry, Warneford Hospital, Oxford
Alexandra Day
Affiliation:
University Department of Psychiatry, Warneford Hospital, Oxford
Pauline Martin
Affiliation:
University Department of Psychiatry, Warneford Hospital, Oxford
Marianne O'Connor
Affiliation:
University Department of Psychiatry, Warneford Hospital, Oxford
Jackie Yule
Affiliation:
University Department of Psychiatry, Warneford Hospital, Oxford
*
1Address for correspondence: Dr Keith Hawton, Warneford Hospital, Oxford OX3 7JX.
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Synopsis

In a randomized prospective treatment study, 80 overdose patients (not requiring intensive psychiatric intervention) received either brief out-patient counselling or were returned to the care of their general practitioners with advice on management. There was little difference in outcome between the two groups. However, two sub-groups of patients benefited more from out-patient counselling than from general practitioner care, these were: (a) women, and (b) patients with dyadic problems. Counselling following overdoses should be focused on groups of patients such as these who are most likely to benefit from it. Further work is needed to identify treatment approaches that will help other groups who take overdoses, especially men.

Type
Research Article
Information
Psychological Medicine , Volume 17 , Issue 3 , August 1987 , pp. 751 - 761
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1987

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