Evidence map›Paper›PMID 29043091›Full record

ArticlePilot and feasibility studies2017

HOPE: Help fOr People with money, employment, benefit or housing problems: study protocol for a randomised controlled trial.

M C Barnes, A M Haase, A M Bard, J L Donovan, R Davies, S Dursley, J Potokar, N Kapur, K Hawton, R C O'Connor and 3 more

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Pilot and feasibility studies, 2017. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

  1. Psychosocial interventions for self-harm in adults.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2021
    Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

13 authors.

M C BarnesSchool of Social and Community Medicine, University of Bristol, Bristol, BS8 2PS UK.
A M HaaseSchool of Policy Studies, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.
A M BardSchool of Veterinary Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.
J L DonovanNational Institute for Health Research Collaboration for Leadership in Applied Health Reserach and Care West, UH Bristol NHS Trust, Bristol, UK.
R DaviesPublic Patient Involvement, University of the West of England, Bristol, UK.
S DursleyPsychiatric Liaison Team, UH Bristol NHS Trust, Bristol, UK.
J PotokarSchool of Social and Community Medicine, University of Bristol, Bristol, BS8 2PS UK.
N KapurCentre for Suicide Prevention, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK.
K HawtonCentre for Suicide Research, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
R C O'ConnorSuicidal Behaviour Research Laboratory, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK.
W HollingworthSchool of Social and Community Medicine, University of Bristol, Bristol, BS8 2PS UK.
C MetcalfeSchool of Social and Community Medicine, University of Bristol, Bristol, BS8 2PS UK.
D GunnellSchool of Social and Community Medicine, University of Bristol, Bristol, BS8 2PS UK.

Funding

Department of Health RP-PG-0606-1247Department of Health RP-PG-0610-10026Medical Research Council MR/K025643/1
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundSelf-harm and suicide increase in times of economic recession. Factors including job loss, austerity measures, financial difficulties and house repossession contribute to the risk. Vulnerable individuals commonly experience difficulties in navigating the benefits system and in accessing the available sources of welfare and debt advice, and this contributes to their distress. Our aim is to determine the feasibility and acceptability of a brief psychosocial intervention (the "HOPE" service) for people presenting to hospital emergency departments (ED) following self-harm or in acute distress because of financial, employment, or welfare (benefit) difficulties.

methodA pilot study including randomisation will be employed to determine whether it is possible to undertake a full-scale trial. Twenty people presenting to the ED who have self-harmed, have suicidal thoughts and depression and/or are in crisis and where financial, employment or benefit problems are cited as contributory factors will be asked to consent to random allocation to the intervention or control arm on a 2:1 basis. People who require secondary mental health follow-up will be excluded. Those randomised to the intervention arm will receive up to six sessions with a mental health worker who will provide practical help with financial and other problems. The mental health worker will use the motivational interviewing method in their interactions with participants. Control participants will receive one session signposting them to existing relevant support organisations. Participants will be followed up after 3 months. Participants and the mental health workers will take part in qualitative interviews to enable refinement of the intervention. The acceptability of outcome measures including the PHQ-9, GAD-7, repeat self-harm, EQ5D-5L and questions about debt, employment and welfare benefits will be explored. DISCUSSION: This study will assess whether a full-scale randomised trial of this novel intervention to prevent self-harm among those distressed because of financial difficulties is feasible, including the acceptability of randomisation, potential rate of recruitment and the acceptability of outcome measures.

trial registrationISRCTN58531248.

Indexed as

Financial difficultiesMotivational interview methodsPilot studyPsychosocial interventionSelf-harm

Identifiers

PMID29043091
PMCPMC5629806

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.