Emergency Department Means Restriction Education

An Evidence-Based Practice

Description

This intervention was designed to take place in busy emergency departments. The program includes the following components that are to be delivered by a healthcare professional: 1) informing the parent/caregiver that their child is at increased suicide risk and explaining why; 2) providing the parent/caregiver with information about steps that they can immediately take to reduce the youth's suicide risk; and 3) educating and problem-solving with parents about how to limit access to lethal means such as firearms, medications, and other items that may be used in another suicide attempt.

Goal / Mission

The goal of Emergency Department Means Restriction Education is to help parents and adult caregivers of at-risk youth recognize the importance of taking immediate action to restrict access to firearms, alcohol, and prescription and over-the-counter drugs in the home in order to lessen the risk of self harm.

Impact

The Means Restriction program shows that ED-based programs and provided practical information can help parents and adult caregivers of at-risk youth recognize the importance of taking immediate, new action to restrict access to dangers in the home.

Results / Accomplishments

One study followed up with parents two months after they had received Means Restriction information. For prescription medications, significantly more parents/caregivers who received the intervention used either locking or disposal as methods to limit access when compared to control parents/caregivers (75% vs. 48%; p < 0.05).

About this Promising Practice

Organization(s)
Medical University of South Carolina
Primary Contact
Dr. Markus Kruesi
Dept. of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences
Medical University of South Carolina
67 President Street
MSC 861
Room PH237
Charleston, SC 29425
(843) 792-0135
kruesi@musc.edu
http://academicdepartments.musc.edu/facultydirecto...
Topics
Health / Prevention & Safety
Health / Mental Health & Mental Disorders
Community / Crime & Crime Prevention
Organization(s)
Medical University of South Carolina
Date of publication
2010
Date of implementation
1994
For more details
http://legacy.nreppadmin.net/ViewIntervention.aspx...
https://www.sprc.org/resources-programs/emergency-...
Additional Audience
parents of at-risk youth

Related Promising Practices

  1. Sources of Strength Suicide Prevention Program
  2. New Directions for Youth
  3. Baton Rouge Partnership for the Prevention of Juvenile Gun Violence
  4. Juvenile Intervention and Prevention Program (JIPP)
  5. Too Good for Drugs
  6. Zero Suicide Initiative

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Related Content for: Emergency Department Means Restriction Education

An Evidence-Based Practice meets the following HCI criteria:

  1. The program description includes at a minimum: the sponsoring organization, program goals, program implementation steps, and outcomes that have demonstrated program success in achieving the program goal in one or more localities.
  2. The results from an evaluation of the program include quantitative measures showing improvement in the outcome(s) of interest after the implementation of the program (i.e. increase in smoking cessation, not just the delivery of a smoking cessation program). The outcome measure(s) is/are compared at relevant time periods before and after the intervention or program implementation. Alternatively, the evaluation study compares the outcome(s) between an intervention group and an appropriate control group.
  3. The study is of peer-review quality and presents numbers in a scientific manner; measurements of precision and reliability are included (e.g. confidence intervals, standard errors), results from statistical tests show a significant difference or change in the outcome measure(s), and relevant point estimates and p-values are presented. Note: if the results from an evaluation of a program are presented in a scientific manner and the outcome measure is improved compared to the baseline measurement or the control group but the difference is not statistically significant, the practice is classified as effective and not evidence-based.