Text Message Intervention to Reduce Repeat Self-harm
Self-Injurious Behavior
About this trial
This is an interventional prevention trial for Self-Injurious Behavior focused on measuring Self harm, Emergency Department, Repetition, Supportive Text messages, Interactive
Eligibility Criteria
Inclusion Criteria:
- All patients 18 years and over, presenting to the ED with self-harm.
- All patients should have a mobile phone, be familiar with text messaging technology and be willing to take part in the study.
Exclusion Criteria:
- Patients who do not consent to take part in the study.
- Patients who do not have a mobile phone or are unable to use the mobile text message technology.
- Patients who are admitted as a psychiatric inpatient following the assessment in the ED or those who require admission to a medical ward for longer than 48 hours.
- Patients who would be unavailable for follow-up during the study period.
Sites / Locations
- Beaumont Hospital
Arms of the Study
Arm 1
Arm 2
No Intervention
Experimental
No text messages
Supportive and interactive text messages
Patients in the non-intervention group will not receive any text messages. However, they will also receive the routine outpatient follow-up arrangements associated with attendance at an ED with self-harm including the provision of a contact phone number for the Samaritans.
We will deliver daily supportive and informative text messages for one month followed by one supportive and informative text message every other day the second month and then one weekly text message the third month to patients in the intervention group after they have been discharged from the ED following an episode of self-harm. Supportive text messages will mainly target relieving the patients of mood symptoms and providing them with strategies for dealing with suicidal thoughts while the informative ones will provide patients with a dedicated mobile phone number through which they can receive interactive support from the Samaritans. The text messages will encourage participants to text the Samaritans in times of crisis. Please see appendix I for examples of the relevant text messages.