Engagement and Retention of Suicide Attempters in Clinical Research

Abstract

Background: High attrition rates in longitudinal research can limit study generalizability, threaten internal validity, and decrease statistical power. Research has demonstrated that there can be significant differences between participants who complete a research study and those who drop out prematurely, and that treatment outcomes may be dependent on retention in a treatment protocol. Aims: The current paper describes the challenges encountered when implementing a randomized controlled trial of cognitive therapy for the prevention of suicide attempts and the solutions developed to overcome these problems. Methods: Problems unique to suicide attempters are discussed, and strategies successfully implemented to boost retention rates are provided. Results: The methods implemented appeared to increase retention rates in the randomized controlled trial. Conclusions: Many steps can be taken to work with this difficult population, and researchers are encouraged to be as involved and flexible with participants as possible.