Some 500,000 people are treated each year in U.S. hospital emergency rooms after harming themselves. So what’s the best way to help them? Turns out communication and affinity work better and cost less than most other treatments at preventing subsequent suicide attempts, according to a study by the National Institute of Mental Health.
Sending postcards at monthly intervals; making phone calls to offer support and encourage follow-up treatment; and cognitive behavioral therapy were found to reduce suicide risk from 30-50 percent.
As for antidepressants? They actually increase the rate of suicides, according to a recent Swedish study.
