Establishment grant for research on a brief contact intervention for suicide prevention
Emma Eliasson at the National centre for suicide research and prevention (NASP) has been awarded an establishment grant of 3,744,000 SEK from Forte. This grant will finance a research project aimed at evaluating supportive follow-up calls —Uppföljningssamtal — as a method to reduce suicides in Sweden.
There is a need to improve suicide prevention strategies in Sweden. To address this need, the research project "Evaluating the Implementation of a Brief Contact Intervention to Enhance Suicide Prevention in Sweden: A Mixed-Methods Study on Feasibility and Effectiveness" aims to evaluate supportive follow-up calls as a suicide prevention intervention over a 12-month period.
The study consists of two phases. The first phase will evaluate the practicality and perceived helpfulness among participants and staff. The research questions include participants' opinions on the intervention and staff's views on implementation and practical needs.
The second phase is a randomized controlled trial that evaluates whether the conversations reduce suicidal thoughts and suicide attempts and identifies the most effective components. This phase will also evaluate staff perspectives on barriers and opportunities to continue with Uppföljningssamtal after the study concludes.
The project leader is postdoctoral researcher Emma Eliasson at NASP and the Department of Learning, Informatics, Management, and Ethics (LIME).
"I hope that the research project will contribute important knowledge about the implementation of new suicide prevention strategies in Sweden. We also hope that, in addition to gaining knowledge about the effectiveness of the intervention, we can highlight central treatment mechanisms, as insight into these is crucial for the improvement and further development of the program", says Emma Eliasson.
The project uses a mixed methods design in the first study, combining quantitative surveys with qualitative interviews to collect comprehensive data. The second study uses a randomized controlled design, where participants are randomly assigned to either follow-up calls, Uppföljningssamtal, or a control group without follow-up calls.
By contributing important knowledge about the implementation of new suicide prevention strategies, the project is expected to benefit both individuals in need of support and society at large.
The project is planned to start in 2025.
Forte establishment grant
Establishment grants from Forte provide financial support aimed at helping junior researchers establish themselves and become independent within the research community. The grant is intended for researchers at the beginning of their careers, up to three years after completing their doctorate.