Evaluation of a Prison Suicide Prevention Screening Tool
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Evalution of a Prison Suicide Prevention Screening Tool
IRAS ID
151312
Contact name
Tristan McGeorge
Contact email
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 0 months, 3 days
Research summary
This study aims to test the validity of eleven item suicide prevention screening tools developed for male and female prisoners developed by the University of Oxford Centre for Suicide Research. The questions included in the tool are based on an earlier case control study of near-lethal self-harm in prison carried out by the Centre for Suicide Research. These tools were approved by the National Patient Safety Agency.
We intend to administer the respective screening tools to new reception prisoners at four prisons in London and surrounding areas. The screening tool for male prisoners will be administered at HMP Wormwood Scrubs and HMP Woodhill. The screening tool for women will be adminstered at HMP Holloway and HMP Bronzefield. We will then compare scores on the screening tools with data on self-harm and suicide that is routinely collected by the safer custody departments of the respective prisons. We expect that this will enable us to test the validity of the screening tools to predict the likelihood of future self-harm and suicide events of prisoners when administered to new reception prisoners. We will also collect alternative outcome data and relevant demographic data that will provide information about whether any subgroups of prisoners are at particular risk of self-harm and suicide.
REC name
London - South East Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
15/LO/1235
Date of REC Opinion
25 Aug 2015
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion