Effectiveness of a psychoeducational intervention for people with suicidal behavior in the prison environment. N’VIU project: a randomized control trial

Suicide rates are higher in prison environments than those in the general population. Therefore, preventive activities are crucial. We aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a psychoeducational group intervention in decreasing the number of suicidal behaviors in prisons. We conducted a randomized controlled trial in nine prisons in Catalonia. Main outcome: total number of suicidal behaviors. Other variables: suicidal ideations, depressive and anxiety symptoms, and quality of life. The intervention group carried out 17 psychoeducation sessions and the control group received information. 171 individuals participated in the study, mean age of 34.9 years, 84.8% males. The intervention group (n = 85) reduced anxiety and depression and increased quality of life post-intervention (p < 0.05), with no changes in the control group (n = 86). Both groups reduced all suicide items except for the number of interrupted/aborted attempts and the percentage of people with non-suicidal self-injurious behavior, which improved only in the intervention group. In both groups, the absolute number of suicide attempts decreased (p > 0.05). The psychoeducational intervention had an impact on suicidal ideation observed in both groups, with a non-significant reduction in the number of suicide attempts. Furthermore, the intervention improved levels of anxiety, depression, and quality of life. This trial was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov on January 19, 2022 (NCT05195554).