A single hospital counselling session improved short-term anxiety and some coping skills, without clear effects on depression, alcohol risk, or repeat self-harm.
A nurse-delivered brief counselling session after non-fatal self-poisoning lowered anxiety at six months, but the difference was not present at one year. The intervention also increased some coping strategies at six months, with no sustained group differences at one year. Depression, alcohol use disorder, suicidal thoughts, and repeat self-harm did not differ between groups.
Quick summary
- What the study found: A trained ward-nurse counselling session significantly reduced anxiety at six months and increased self-distraction and instrumental support coping, but did not change depression, alcohol use disorder, suicidal ideation, or repeat self-harm versus usual care.
- Why it matters: Brief, structured emotional-support conversations delivered by nurses may be a realistic way to add mental health care in medical wards after self-poisoning.
- What to be careful about: Benefits for anxiety and coping were not sustained at one year, and follow-up sample sizes were much smaller than baseline.
What was found
In Brief psychological intervention for the prevention of deliberate self-poisoning: A randomized controlled trial from Sri Lanka, 293 hospitalized patients were randomized to brief counselling or treatment as usual.
At six months, the intervention group had lower anxiety than the treatment-as-usual group. At one year, that anxiety difference was no longer observed.
Depression and alcohol use disorder did not differ between groups at six or twelve months. The same was true for suicidal ideation and repeat self-harm attempts.
What it means
The clearest signal is short-term anxiety relief. Anxiety here refers to symptoms such as persistent worry and tension, measured with a standardized questionnaire.
The intervention encouraged people to explore alternative strategies for managing emotional distress and future stressors. In qualitative interviews, many participants described the session as valuable for emotional support and guidance.
That combination matters: practical strategy-building plus a calmer nervous system can reduce the sense of being “trapped,” which often drives impulsive decisions during acute distress.
Where it fits
This journal article tests a common-sense idea with real operational relevance: nurses already provide informal psychological support, but training and structure may make that support more effective and consistent.
Interview data suggested that relationship changes after the self-poisoning incident were important. Participants described talking more with parents and friends, and feeling that others listened more.
Some coping changes were mixed. “Self-distraction” in this context means using activities to shift attention away from intense feelings; “instrumental support” means seeking practical help or advice.
How to use it
If you run a ward that treats self-poisoning, treat brief counselling as a targeted skill, not an “extra.” This study suggests it is more feasible to assign dedicated trained nurses than expecting all nurses to contribute equally.
In practice, the session can focus on naming likely future stressors, rehearsing alternatives to self-harm, and identifying one or two support people to contact. A simple take-home reminder helped some participants recall and reuse what they learned.
For families, the most actionable takeaway is responsiveness. Several participants linked improvement to a “friendlier mother” or unexpectedly supportive parents and friends.
Limits & what we still don’t know
The anxiety improvement did not persist to one year, and group differences in coping largely faded. That points to a need for booster contacts, stepped care, or stronger links to follow-up services.
Not everyone benefited. Some participants could not remember the session content later, including some older participants and two young girls receiving treatment for depression.
Follow-up numbers were much smaller than baseline, which makes it harder to be confident about longer-term and less common outcomes.
Closing takeaway
A single trained-nurse counselling session after self-poisoning can reduce anxiety and strengthen certain coping skills in the short term. It did not reduce repeat self-harm, suicidal thoughts, depression, or alcohol risk compared with usual care. If you adopt it, plan for continuity so early gains do not fade.
Data in this article is provided by PLOS.
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