How therapists perceive and treat suicidal patients.
A review of literature on suicide shows a focus on early detection of those at risk of suicide and on the traits of those who actually commit suicide, but little attention to the therapeutic decisions of those who treat suicidal patients. Through in-depth interviews, 27 therapists from an interdisciplinary mental health center were asked about their theoretical formulations regarding suicide and their therapeutic preferences in working with suicidal clients: Significant differences were found between the nine respondents who had experienced the suicide of a patient in their caseload and the others who had not.
D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D003156:Community Mental Health Services; D006801:Humans; D011369:Professional-Patient Relations; D011613:Psychotherapy; D014589:Utah; D000092864:Suicide Prevention