Counselling and psychotherapy for the prevention of suicide: a systematic review of the evidence

Suicide is the cause of death for nearly 900,000 people every year. Non-fatal acts of self harm are also very frequent, occuring in about 300 of every 100,000 people per year. Although such acts may or may not involve suicidal intent, deliberate self-harm is a significant risk factor for eventual suicide. Accordingly, this review, as well as covering research on counselling and psychotherapy explicitly focused upon the prevention of suicide, considers studies of counselling and psychotherapy for people who deliberately self-harm.

The review does not limit itself to the consideration of randomised controlled trials, but also includes non-randomised trials, and other quasi-experimental and non-experimental studies, including qualitative research. It also considers not only the effectiveness but also the process of counselling and psychotherapy with people at risk of suicide.