Feasibility Study of a Combined Intervention for Suicidal Inpatients in Psychiatric Crisis Units.

Around 703,000 people die by suicide each year worldwide, with suicide prevention being a national priority in France since 2014. The period after a patient is discharged from the hospital is a particularly high-risk time for suicide, especially for those with a history of suicide attempts.

This study proposes a new intervention called HOPAIR, which combines three key components:

• Peer support: A professional peer-helper, who has personal experience with mental health challenges, meets with the patient to share their recovery story and foster a sense of hope and connection.
• The Hope Box: A personalized box that patients fill with objects, photos, and memories to engage their five senses and serve as a tool for emotional management, comfort, and distraction during times of distress.
• A reminder postcard: Sent one month after the initial intervention to reinforce the key concepts of the Hope Box and maintain motivation.

The primary objective of the HOPAIR study is to evaluate the feasibility of this combined intervention for suicidal patients hospitalized in a psychiatric crisis unit. The study also aims to assess the potential effectiveness of HOPAIR on several factors after three months, including:

• Feelings of hopelessness and self-efficacy
• Reasons for living
• Perceived social support
• The presence of suicidal thoughts and repeat suicide attempts The study is a mixed-methods, bi-centric research project that will recruit patients 24-48 hours after admission. The intervention will take place within two to four days of admission, followed by the postcard mailing one month later, and a final evaluation at three months. This evaluation will include re-administering scales to measure the study's objectives and conducting qualitative interviews with a subset of participants to assess their satisfaction with the program.

Inclusion criteria

• Major ;
• Hospitalized in a psychiatric crisis unit;
• Having attempted suicide in the month preceding hospitalisation;
• Able to give free and informed consent;
• Having given consent;
• French-speaking person with at least B1 level (reading and writing);
• With access to the technical resources required for the study;
• With a postal address.

Exclusion criteria

• Presenting a relational modality incompatible with the proposed intervention (agitation, acute delirium, major cognitive disorders or psychic disorganisation, etc.);
• Included in another research protocol related to suicide prevention.