Follow-up phone call could save a life, study says

Hospital emergency departments shouldn’t merely give psychiatric referrals after discharging patients who have attempted suicide, a new study found.

Instead, follow-up phone calls after the patient is discharged could reduce the risk of future suicide attempts.

In the study, which included nearly 1,400 patients across the United States, future suicide risk was decreased by 30 percent due to follow-up phone calls, specialized screening and safety planning.

“People who are suicidal are often disconnected and socially isolated,” study co-author Michael Allen, professor of psychiatry and emergency medicine at the University of Colorado Anschutz, told HealthDay. “So any positive contact with the world can make them feel better.”

This story was originally published May 10, 2017 at 7:29 AM with the headline "Follow-up phone call could save a life, study says."