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October 4, 2016

Study investigates use of text messaging to help self-harm patients

UOW researcher awarded NSW Government Translational Research Grant

New research that aims to use text messaging to improve survival rates among patients who self-harm has been awarded more than $330,000 in funding as part of the NSW Government’s Translational Research Grants Scheme.

Minister for Medical Research, Pru Goward, announced the funding, part of $10.2 million allocated to health system-led research projects, on Tuesday (4 October) as part of the first round of the scheme.

Professor Alison Jones, Pro Vice-Chancellor (Health Strategy) and Executive Dean of the Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health at UOW and Clinical Toxicologist at Blacktown Hospital, will lead a project team of clinicians and researchers across three hospitals and three universities.

Professor Jones is also currently developing the UOW Mind the GAP centre, which focuses on suicide prevention, trauma recovery and enhanced community resilience with key strategic partners in Nowra.

As part of the SMS text message study, which will take in almost 800 patients admitted to emergency departments at hospitals in Sydney’s south-west, SMS will be used to follow up with patients who are at high risk of self-harm or suicide.

Professor Jones said the study would investigate whether such technology can be used to communicate more effectively with patients and provide greater personalised medical care to prevent further self-harm episodes.

“We know that sending postcards to patients we have seen clinically is effective in preventing representations with self-harm, but we hope that SMS text messaging will be more immediate and even more effective and therefore save more lives,”
Professor Jones said. “One theory is that enhanced social connectedness can reduce self-harm ”

Young women aged 15 to 24 years are particularly vulnerable. The self-harm hospitalisation rate among this gender and age group has increased over the last three years to the previous peak levels seen in 2004 to 2005.

The study will be undertaken with consenting patients at Blacktown/Mt Druitt Hospital, Westmead, and Nepean Hospitals.

In announcing the successful projects, Minister Goward said the Translational Research Grants Scheme, available only in New South Wales, would enable researchers to carry out projects that would have a true impact on patients’ lives.

“These projects were funded based on their innovation and potential to translate quickly into treatments that could benefit the lives of thousands of NSW patients,” Minister Goward said.
 
Above photo: Professor Alison Jones. Credit: Western Sydney Local Health District