What is the SAMAGH Project?
This study is part of the Health Research Board Research Leader Awards 5-year research programme: Individual and Area Level Determinants of Self-Harm and Suicide in Ireland: Enhancing Prediction, Risk Assessment and Management of Self-Harm by Health Services.
SAMAGH has a specific focus on managing and supporting clinical subgroups: major self-harm repeaters, high-risk patients and challenging behaviour patients based on the evidence from the IMPRESS Study as well as following suggestions from the consultation meetings and focus groups.
SAMAGH is a simulation training programme delivered to healthcare professionals in Ireland, which includes an E-learning component, as well as a 2-day simulation training focusing on the highlighted clinical subgroups. A process and service evaluation are being conducted in order to evaluate the effectiveness of the SAMAGH training programme.
Project Aims
- Develop and deliver the SAMAGH training programme for healthcare professionals in Ireland.
- Assess the impact of the SAMAGH training for health professionals in hospital settings on overall repeated self-harm rates as well as in the clinical subgroups.
- Determine whether the SAMAGH training results in increased rates of mental health assessments being conducted with self-harm patients.
- Conduct a process evaluation to understand the feasibility of implementing the SAMAGH training and its effect on health professionals’ knowledge, attitudes and skills on assessment and management of self-harm patients.
Recent Publications
- Study protocol for the implementation and evaluation of the Self-harm Assessment and Management for General Hospitals programme in Ireland (SAMAGH). Arensman, E., Troya, M. I., Nicholson, S., Sadath, A., Cully, G., Costa, A. P. R., … & Cassidy, E. (2020). BMC health services research, 20(1), 1-8.