Emergency Departments in England manage approximately 220,000 self-harm contacts per year. Evidence from Switzerland, the U.S. and other countries show that brief interventions in Emergency Departments for people presenting during crisis are effective in reducing self-harm and suicide.
Currently there is not an evidence-based intervention for the NHS context. The ASsuRED team have adapted approaches from other countries into an intervention for the NHS context. This intervention will be evaluated in Emergency Departments in England. This has the potential to reduce the risk of suicide and self-harm in the UK and improve the experience of attending the Emergency Department for people in crisis.