That morning, in the hall of the Robert Debré University Hospital in Reims, whose new building still under construction should be inaugurated in May 2024, stands were set up facing the main entrance.
On February 5, national suicide prevention day, healthcare teams and associations are coming to present to the general public their support and listening systems to prevent suicide and its recurrences.
Among those present, the Marne Public Mental Health Establishment (EPSM), a leading establishment in psychiatric care whose branch is located in Châlons-en-Champagne (www.epsm-marne.fr).
Represented by psychiatrist Louise Pimpaud and her teams, the EPSM came to present a new prevention system against suicidal recidivism among adolescents, which should be deployed nationally in 2024.
Called “VigiteenS”, parent of VigilanS created in 2015 by Professor Guillaume Vaiva of the Lille CHRU, intended for adults, this system makes it possible to supervise adolescents and minors from their first emergency hospitalization by organizing a network of health professionals around the young person who has attempted suicide who will keep in touch during the first six months - or more if necessary - of their care.
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As for adults, but with parental consent, a “resource” card, the size of a bank card, is given to the young patient upon leaving the emergency department: it contains numbers and a QR code to flash with numbers to contact as needed.
On the other end of the phone, two caregivers, trained in suicidal crises, based at the Henri-Ey clinic at the EPSM de la Marne, in Reims.
Each patient is thus contacted by telephone by the VigiteenS team, firstly between ten and twenty-one days after their suicide attempt, then three and six months later.
“The goal is to get news.
This is an opportunity to take stock of the evolution of the situation and, if necessary, to offer different possibilities for help and support,” explains Dr Louise Pimpaud.
As for adults, postcards are systematically sent two months after the act, then three, four and five months later.
At the same time, SMS messages are sent to children and adolescents one week after their suicide attempt, then one, two, four and six months later.
“SMS is a bit of a new thing on VigiteenS, teenagers and minors are more difficult to find, we go more into contact with young people because they give up care a little more quickly than adults,” adds the Dr Louise Pimpaud.
At six months, an assessment is carried out with the parents or the referring adult in order to assess future care.
Also read “I regularly want to end it”: these young adults increasingly affected by suicidal thoughts
With a team made up of three nurses, a psychologist and two coordinators, the EPSM de la Marne is one of the establishments deploying this system in its test phase before its generalization in all structures with prevention and mental health diagnosis.
Launched in November 2023, in Marne, “VigiteenS” intends to confirm the convincing results already observed on the same VigilanS device deployed since November 2020 in the region and throughout France.
“We observe a 38% reduction in recurrences of suicide and mortality by suicide for adult patients included in the system,” confirms Dr Louise Pimpaud.
Mental health, a worrying subject and often correlated with a degraded health situation since 2020, is often the subject of a combination but cannot on its own justify the increase in suicidal thoughts among young people.
“For suicide, we can never make a causal link, there is no scientifically proven explanation that attempts to link the act to a given situation.
We noticed an increase and therefore something had to be done for young people.
» With nearly 2,400 patients, all ages combined, forty patients to be contacted per day, numerous calls, reflecting an emergency situation, the EPSM de la Marne intends to continue its primary mission: to make the system known so that everyone can benefit from it.
Since November 2021, a national suicide prevention number has also been set up.
If you are in distress and have suicidal thoughts or if you want to help someone who is suffering, you can contact 3114.