Online Suicide Intervention Works, but Most Patients Don't Want It

Targeting suicidal ideation (SI) with psychotherapy might reduce suicide attempts and completions, but less than one third of people with SI seek help, due to cost, clinician availability and access, shame, and a wish to manage the problem themselves. Online interventions can overcome these barriers, and a controlled study has showed short-term benefit from an online antisuicide psychotherapy program in people with mild to moderate SI. In a Belgian randomized, controlled trial of an online intervention, researchers recruited 724 people from a suicide web helpline who had high levels of distress, anxiety, and depression (in treatment, 62%; on medication, 52%; prior suicide attempts, 46%).

The intervention was a 6-module psychotherapy with ele…