Reducing suicidal thoughts: a web-based self-help intervention.

Suicide, attempted suicide and suicidal thoughts are a major problem in Dutch society. Face-to-face treatments often consist of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavioural Therapy (DBT) or Problem Solving Treatment (PST). However, about 50% of the people who die by suicide are not in contact with mental health care services at that moment, and many have never been treated. Even when patients are being treated for depression or other emotional disorders, many do not disclose their suicidal thoughts to their care provider. This may be out of shame, due to fear of stigma or to not having faith in (mental) health care. Web-based self-help might be a promising new way to reach people with this serious mental health problem who would not be reached otherwise. In this study, a recently developed self-help intervention will be evaluated in a RCT.



The 260 participants will be recruited in the Netherlands.

This study aims at testing the effectiveness of a web-based self-help intervention for people with mild to moderate suicidal thoughts.

Measure are taken at three timepoints: pre- and post the intervention, and at follow-up after 3 months. At all timepoints, the following self-report questionnaires are administered:

1. Beck Suicidal Ideation Scale, self-report;

2. Beck Depression Inventory;

3. Beck Hopelessness Scale;

4. Hospital and Anxiety and Depression Scale (only the Anxiety subscale);

5. Penn State Worry Questionnaire;

6. EuroQol;

7. Trimbos/iMTA questionnaire for Costs associated with Psychiatric Illness;

8. Loneliness Scale.

The self-help intervention is based on CBT and consists of 6 lessons. By means of exercises participants learn to gain control over, and reduce, their suicidal thoughts. Besides this, attention is given to emotion regulation, future perspectives and self-esteem.