Darling Downs Health Mental Health and Alcohol and Other Drugs Health Promotion Officer Richard Henshaw with other Darling Downs Health staff
Download high resolution image [JPG 287.43 KB]
An innovative new program aimed at providing support for people who self-harm is being trialled in the Darling Downs Health region.
The RAFT (Reconnecting AFTer self-harm) program involves patients receiving supportive text messages alongside existing therapy and care in an effort to reduce suicidal ideation and self-harm.
Darling Downs Health Mental Health and Alcohol and Other Drugs Health Promotion Officer Richard Henshaw said the program was an opportunity to see if non-traditional forms of interventions and support, like text messages, could lead to positive outcomes.
“We are trialling this program in Warwick as part of a national clinical trial,” Richard said.
“We hope that people will benefit from receiving regular text messages offering support and links to other self-help resources”.
“Over the course of four weeks, most study participants will receive links to online therapeutic content covering topics such as coping with distressing thoughts, emotional regulation, interpersonal relationships, and managing alcohol. Some participants will also have the option to nominate a support person who will receive a one-off text message with helpful information”.
Richard said RAFT was developed with input from a lived-experience design group and a clinical design group with expertise in e-mental health, clinical psychology, psychiatry, emergency medicine, drug and alcohol services, and mental health epidemiology.
“The program is a joint initiative between Darling Downs Health and the Black Dog Institute,” Richard said.
Chief Investigator for the RAFT trial, A/Prof Mark Larsen from the Black Dog Institute, is hoping to demonstrate through this trial that RAFT can improve outcomes for people discharged from hospital after self-harm. A/Prof Larsen said, “Our aim is that RAFT provides an additional layer of support for people during what is often a difficult and distressing time. We are delighted to continue partnering with Darling Downs Health, who were instrumental to the pilot study of RAFT when it was first developed.”
For more information about RAFT, visit www.raft.org.au