O7
RESUME (RESEARCH INTO SCOTTISH NURSING SUICIDE AND MENTAL HEALTH EXPERIENCES) – FIRST STEPS TO TAILORED PREVENTIVE INTERVENTIONS
- H. Walker, University of Glasgow, UK
Background:
The mental health challenges and elevated suicide risks faced by Scottish nurses have been partially documented over decades but need more consideration in order to develop effective prevention protocols. Currently there is very limited research on the interplay between workplace trauma, personal crises, and systemic factors. The RESUME (REsearch into Scottish nursing SUicide and Mental health Experiences) study addresses these gaps.
Methods:
This is an interdisciplinary, mixed-methods study involving qualitative interviews and quantitative analysis of national datasets from 1980 to 2025. Early stages have focused on developing a comprehensive framework to identify key risk factors and develop the the ASC app, a tailored digital intervention designed to provide real-time crisis mental health support.
Results:
As an early-stage study, preliminary findings from stakeholder engagement, a scoping review of existing support tools, and PPIE input has clarified need for the investigation, and driven the design of predictive tools and workplace interventions, which we intend to pilot test.
Implications for Policy or Practice:
Working with partners in NHS Scotland, Queens Nursing Institute Scotland, and the Scottish Royal College of Nursing RESUME is helping to develop effective strategies for suicide prevention and mental health improvement in healthcare. Working in collaboration with the SOLVE initiative (a crisis response framework for suicidal disclosure – currently undergoing Delphi Process), the RESUME project aims to provide a model for workforce-focused mental health interventions, with potential scalability across the UK healthcare sector.
References:
Scottish Government and COSLA. Creating Hope Together: Scotland’s Suicide Prevention Strategy 2022-2032. Edinburgh: Scottish Government, 2022. https://www.gov.scot/publications/creating-hope-together-scotlands-suicide-prevention-strategy-2022-2032/
Royal College of Nursing (RCN). “RCN Calls for Urgent Action as Suicidal Thoughts Among Nurses Rise Sharply.” RCN Press Release, June 5, 2024. https://www.rcn.org.uk/news-and-events/Press-Releases/suicidal-ideation-congress-050624
Walker, Simon H., and Anne Harriss. “Is It Something Difficult? Understanding Suicide through Occupational Health with a Case Study on Nursing.” Occupational Health and Wellbeing (2022). https://www.personneltoday.com/hr/suicide-occupational-health-cpd/
Williamson, Victoria, Sharon A. M. Stevelink, and Neil Greenberg. “Occupational Moral Injury and Mental Health: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.” The British Journal of Psychiatry 212, no. 6 (2018): 339–46. https://doi.org/10.1192/bjp.2018.55.
National Confidential Inquiry into Suicide and Safety in Mental Health (NCISH). Suicide by Nurses: Update Report (2011–2022). Manchester: University of Manchester, 2024. https://documents.manchester.ac.uk/display.aspx?DocID=74946.
