Ohio State Study Confirms Value of Virtual Care in Suicide Prevention

Critics of telehealth have long said a virtual visit can’t replicate in-person treatment, especially for serious concerns like treatment of patients considering suicide. But a new study from The Ohio State University’s Wexner Medical Center and College of Medicine finds that virtual care is an effective platform.

In a randomized clinical trial of 96 patients between 2021 and 2023 with recent suicidal ideation or suicidal behavior, counselors using brief cognitive behavioral therapy (BCBT) via telehealth were able to cut suicide attempts by 41% compared to present-centered therapy (PCT).

The research lends strength to the argument that effective treatment isn’t based on the mode of delivery, and that virtual care is a suitable platform for those unable or unwilling to access in-person care.

“For those suffering with suicidal thoughts and behaviors, we have good, tested treatments that will lead to significant symptom reduction and improved quality of life,” Craig Bryan, PsyD, professor in Ohio State’s Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health and director of its Suicide Prevention Program and a co-investigator in the study, said in a press release. “Even with lessening restrictions, many therapists are keeping a portion of their telehealth practice post pandemic. This study has the potential to increase access to needed evidence-based treatments for those in rural and hard-to-reach areas.”

“We wanted a way to ensure that those who needed care the most were able to receive care during the pandemic,” he said in the press release.

According to the study, published in JAMA, 768 people were asked to participate, 112 were assessed for eligibility and 98 were eventually selected, with 52 undergoing virtual care and the other 46 seeing a clinician in person.

“A strength of this study is the use of an active, evidence-based treatment as the comparator instead of treatment as usual,” the study reported. “The use of an active comparator in this study provides a higher level of internal validity than previous studies, thereby enabling us to conclude with greater confidence that reductions in suicide attempts are likely attributable to the skills-training focus of BCBT, which prioritizes targeting core underlying vulnerabilities in how patients regulate emotions and cognitively reappraise stressful situations.”