Tools that capture, measure, or quantify the outcomes of support are commonplace in Australian community mental health programs. Outcome measure tools can track an individual's progress, build the evidence base of a program's effectiveness, or provide government funders with data that demonstrates responsible investment. Despite their ubiquity in the broader mental health sector, and the benefits they can offer, the use of outcome measures in suicide postvention remains largely unexplored.
The selection and implementation of outcome measures in suicide postvention requires thoughtful consideration. Suicide bereavement can be devastating and profoundly painful; it is vital that outcome measure tools minimise risk of further traumatisation and are facilitated in a way that benefits the individual completing them. It is therefore crucial to understand how to approach outcome measurement within suicide postvention services in a way that is sensitive to the individual and provides meaningful information for the postvention program.
The presentation will report on the culmination of a three-year research project exploring the implementation of outcome measures within a national suicide postvention provider. The four-stage project involved a review of the literature, focus groups, a Delphi consensus study, and a mixed-methods implementation study. Foundational to the project was the voice of lived experience. We sought out many voices from varied perspectives; we listened to understand what mattered most, and we synthesised the myriad perspectives that were generously offered to us over the course of the project.
The presentation will briefly outline the journey taken to reach the end point: a recommended approach to outcome measurement in suicide postvention. We will present an analysis of more than 20 interviews with individuals who have a lived experience of suicide, focusing on their perspectives regarding the acceptability of four outcome measure tools trialled within the project. Thematic findings from these interviews will be triangulated with quantitative survey data examining the acceptability of the same tools. Feedback from staff of the target postvention program will be contrasted with lived experience perspectives, which will identify divergences or similarity in perspectives.
To our knowledge, this project was the first of its kind to comprehensively explore outcome measures in suicide postvention. The project highlights the importance of asking (and not assuming) the lived experience perspective. Audience members will be encouraged to reflect on their own assumptions about outcome measures and prompted to consider their possibility as a communication tool that is grounded in empathy and understanding.