Teen suicide: VigiteenS, a prevention and support system tested in the Marne

That morning, in the lobby of the Robert Debreu University Hospital in Reims, whose new building is still under construction and due to open in May 2024, stands were set up opposite the main entrance. On February 5, National Suicide Prevention Day, health teams and associations are set to present their support and listening systems to the general public to prevent suicide and its recurrence.

Among those present is the State Psychiatric Institute of the Marne (EPSM), a leading institution in the field of mental health care, with a branch located in Chalons-en-Champagne (www.epsm-marne.fr). EPSM, represented by psychiatrist Louise Pimpo and her team, has introduced a new system for preventing suicide recidivism among adolescents, which is due to be rolled out nationally in 2024.

This system, called “VigiteenS”, is the parent system of VigilanS, created in 2015 by Professor Guillaume Vaiva from Lille CHRU and intended for adults. This system makes it possible to monitor adolescents and minors from the moment of their first emergency hospitalization, organizing a network of health professionals around the young person. who have attempted suicide, who will remain in contact during the first six months (or more if necessary) of their care.

Like adults, but with parental consent, when leaving the emergency department, a young patient is given a “resource” card the size of a bank card: it contains numbers and a flashing QR code with numbers that can be contacted if necessary. On the other end of the phone are two caregivers trained in suicidal crises at the Henri-Hey clinic at the EPSM de la Marne in Reims.

Thus, the VigiteenS team contacts each patient by telephone, first ten to twenty-one days after the suicide attempt, then three and six months later. “The goal is to get news. This is an opportunity to assess the development of the situation and, if necessary, offer various options for help and support,” explains Dr. Louise Pimpo.

As for adults, postcards are systematically sent out two months after the act, then after three, four and five months. In this case, SMS messages are sent to children and adolescents a week after a suicide attempt, then after one, two, four and six months. “SMS is something new on VigiteenS, teenagers and minors are harder to find, we are reaching out to younger people more because they give up care a little faster than adults,” adds Dr Louise Pimpo. At six months an assessment is carried out with the parents or referring adult to assess future care.

Thanks to a team of three nurses, a psychologist and two coordinators, EPSM de la Marne is one of the institutions using this system in the testing phase before disseminating it to all structures involved in the prevention and diagnosis of mental health. Launched in November 2023 in the Marne, “VigiteenS” intends to confirm the compelling results already observed on the same VigilanS device deployed since November 2020 in the region and throughout France.

“We have seen a 38% reduction in suicide relapse and suicide mortality among adult patients enrolled in the system,” confirms Dr. Louise Pimpo. Mental health, a concern and often correlated with the worsening health situation since 2020, is often the subject of a combination, but alone cannot justify the rise in suicidal ideation among young people.

“For suicide, we can never establish a cause-and-effect relationship; there is no scientifically valid explanation that attempts to link this action to a specific situation. We noticed an increase and so we had to do something for the youth. » With approximately 2,400 patients of all ages together, forty patients to be contacted per day, numerous calls reflecting an emergency, EPSM de la Marne intends to continue its main mission: to make the system known so that everyone can benefit from it.

A national suicide prevention number has also been created since November 2021. If you are in trouble and have suicidal thoughts, or if you want to help someone who is suffering, you can call 3114.