Hosany, Zaid (2025) Developing a framework, training and toolkit for brief suicide specific psychological interventions in an NHS mental health crisis team: a mixed methods study. Post-Doctoral thesis, University of West London.

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Abstract

Suicide is a significant societal issue on both global and national levels, particularly in the United Kingdom, where it has become a significant public health concern. In response, the government has allocated substantial resources towards suicide prevention strategies. Crisis Resolution and Home Treatment Teams (CRHTT) play a vital role in delivering urgent multidisciplinary assessments and interventions for individuals facing mental health emergencies characterised by suicidal ideation and behaviour. However, despite the availability of effective treatments, uncertainty persists regarding the efficacy of these interventions within crisis teams, mainly since their staff usually comprises non-qualified therapists. Compounding this issue is the absence of an appropriate conceptual framework and psychological intervention to guide the practice of these teams.

Therefore, to address these deficiencies, a mixed-methods research study was conducted to design and implement a brief suicide-specific psychological intervention (BSPI) framework, toolkit, and training for an NHS crisis team treating suicidal patients. This study was comprised of two Phases. Phase 1 included a systematic review and qualitative analysis to develop the framework and the BSPI training materials. Phase 2 subsequently evaluated these components through a BSPI training and evaluation programme, utilising a quasi-experimental before-and-after intervention study design to assess staff confidence in applying the toolkit.
A pragmatist approach employing positivist, interpretivist, and critical realist methodologies was adopted for the data collection and analysis. This study adhered to the Medical Research Council guidelines for developing, evaluating and implementing complex interventions guided by the Normalisation Process Theory. The systematic review found nine distinct categories of suicide-focused psychological interventions. Five key themes were identified from the qualitative analysis: acceptability, awareness, collaborative assessment, organisational systems, and formal training. The BSPI training demonstrated efficacy, with 80% of the participants reporting elevated levels of benefit. The before-and-after intervention study revealed statistically significant improvements in staff confidence (p<.0005) in implementing BSPI skills, with enhancements maintained at three-month follow-up.

This study contributes to the advancement of knowledge and practices surrounding suicide-specific interventions, offering a BSPI framework, training, and toolkit for crisis teams to improve their effectiveness in supporting individuals experiencing suicidal ideation during crises.

Item Type:	Thesis (Post-Doctoral)
Identifier:	10.36828/thesis/15207
Subjects:	Medicine and health > Health promotion and public health > Healthcare education Medicine and health > Mental health
Date Deposited:	23 Jun 2026
Dates:	Date Publication status May 2025 Submitted
School, department or research centre:	College of Nursing, Midwifery and Healthcare
URI:	https://repository.uwl.ac.uk/id/eprint/15207

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