{"id":49208,"date":"2011-05-24T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2011-05-24T05:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.unmc.edu\/newsroom\/2011\/05\/24\/unmc-one-of-eight-sites-selected-for-suicide-prevention-study\/"},"modified":"2022-08-28T19:16:12","modified_gmt":"2022-08-29T00:16:12","slug":"unmc-one-of-eight-sites-selected-for-suicide-prevention-study","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.unmc.edu\/newsroom\/2011\/05\/24\/unmc-one-of-eight-sites-selected-for-suicide-prevention-study\/","title":{"rendered":"UNMC one of eight sites selected for suicide prevention study"},"content":{"rendered":"

Five-year program will address one of society’s hidden problems <\/span><\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

The University of Nebraska Medical Center<\/a> is one of eight participating sites in a national research study designed to identify ways to improve the detection and prevention of suicide among patients who present to hospital emergency departments (EDs). <\/span><\/div>\n
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The project is being funded through a five-year award from the National Institutes of Mental Health<\/a>, a division of the National Institutes of Health<\/a>. The University of Massachusetts Medical School is the lead institution. <\/span><\/div>\n
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The project – called the Emergency Department Safety Assessment and Follow-up Evaluation (ED-SAFE) trial – is expected to enroll 1,440 participants from eight hospitals over five years. At UNMC, up to 180 patients will be enrolled.<\/span><\/div>\n
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The three key objectives are to:<\/span><\/div>\n
(1)            <\/span><\/span>Develop and test a standardized approach to screening ED patients for suicide risk; <\/span><\/div>\n
(2)            <\/span><\/span>Refine and test an ED-initiated intervention to reduce suicidal behavior among people who self-identify or screen positive for contemplating suicide; and<\/span><\/div>\n
(3)            <\/span><\/span>Conduct a cost analysis to compare costs and benefits associated with ED suicide screening and intervention.<\/span><\/div>\n
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“Suicide is something that flies under the radar screen, but it’s a problem that needs to be addressed,” said Wesley Zeger, D.O.,<\/a> who is heading the research project at UNMC. <\/span><\/div>\n
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In 2007, the most recent year for which data are available, Dr. Zeger said suicide was:<\/span><\/div>\n