Exploring the benefits of brief psychological intervention for low mood and suicidality in an Irish Rural Primary Care Service

Abstract Objective: To audit data on clinical outcomes and suicidal ideation, as part of a service evaluation, in individuals presenting with low mood at an Irish frontline, community-based, rural psychology service, to determine whether the intervention provided was effective in reducing suicidal ideation and low mood. Method: Clinical outcome data from 428 service users who scored in the clinical range for depression and who completed an intervention with the service were audited to determine if scores on suicidal and self-harm ideation – as measured by PHQ9 Q9 – changed between assessment and discharge. Results: 91% of service users who scored in the clinical range for depression and expressed suicidal or self-harm ideation at assessment reported an improvement post-intervention. At discharge, 85% of these individuals no longer reported any suicidal or self-harm ideation. A majority (68.5%) of those who reported ideation at assessment, and a majority of those who did not report ideation (78%), achieved reliable change (i.e. an improvement of ≥5pts) in their final PHQ-9 scores. Clinical recovery was achieved by discharge in 69% of those without and 47% of those with ideation at assessment. Not reporting suicidal or self-harm ideation at assessment was statistically more likely to result in reliable change at discharge than reporting such ideation. Conclusions: Results from this clinical service evaluation suggest swift access to psychological intervention, by this rural, frontline primary care psychology service, was associated with reductions in levels of suicidal and self-harm ideation in those suffering from depressive symptoms in the clinical range.