The Effectiveness of Group Social Work Intervention with Resolving the Problem of Reducing Suicidal Ideation in Qorveh City

Suicide and suicidal behavior (suicidal ideation, suicidal plan, and suicidal act) as one of the major problems in the social and psychological health system is an important and significant issue around the world. In addition to personal and family damage, this phenomenon is also a social loss. Suicide is also a psychological and social problem which is one of the social traumas that requires immediate attention from relevant centers. Preventing suicide requires a comprehensive approach that includes physical, mental, social, and spiritual interventions, and the implementation of a wide range of psychosocial and social actions from social support and life skills training to counseling, follow-up, and treatment for mental disorders. It is possible to consider the action to reduce suicidal ideation using different approaches as part of preventive approaches to deal with this harm. Social workers as one of the specialized groups are closely associated with this problem. Their approach to have the more impact on reducing suicidal ideation is the problem-solving, which focuses on the individual and his decision-making problem, which is opposed to stigmatizing and instead emphasizes on abilities, promotion, and empowerment.  The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of group Social Work intervention with a problem-solving approach to reducing suicidal ideation in females referring to psychology and Social Work clinics.

In this study, quasi-experimental design with a randomized control group was used. The statistical population included all cases referring to Social Work clinics and counseling centers and clinics in Qorveh in 2017. Considering the importance of access to research samples and with the collaboration of psychiatric centers, 30 individuals willing to participate in the study and with suicidal ideation identified through a psychiatric interview, was divided into two experiment and control groups after giving written consent and using Block randomization method. A number of samples were dropped due to non-compliance with the intervention, of which 12 were in the experiment group and 11 were in the control group until the end of the intervention. The research tool was Beck Scale for Suicidal Ideation (BSSI) Questionnaire. In the experiment group, Social Work intervention with problem-solving approach and in the control group, training package of coping strategies was performed. All analyses were performed using SPSS software and covariance analysis was used to analyze the data.

The findings of the study showed that group Social Work intervention with a problem-solving approach statistically had a significant difference with the control group and could reduce the total score of suicidal ideation significantly, compared to the control group (P<0.05). The findings of different analyzes in two groups showed that Social Work with problem-solving approach was more effective than the training package of coping strategies in reducing the suicidal ideation of women referring to clinics. The results of various analyzes in the two groups showed that the group work intervention had a significant effect on the four subscales: a desire for death, preparing for suicide, suicidal tendency, and the inhibitory factors or self-control (P<0.001). Also, the power of a test (Cohen effect size), there are four major dimensions of suicidal ideation in the Social Work intervention compared to the training package of coping strategies. 

A comprehensive look at the social factors affecting suicide, especially group Social Work interventions that take a multilateral approach to a social problem, can reduce suicidal ideation and provide the basis for improving the quality of life of different groups of society. Regarding the nature of group Social Work with a problem-solving approach, it is very effective and promising and can also open a door to expanding Social Worker interventions in intervening in a suicidal crisis.