[Psychotherapy of acute suicidality. "The anti-suicide promise" as a method of preventing suicide].
A trustful therapeutic relationship is considered to be the most important suicide-preventing measure. Furthermore, it has frequently been recommended to have the severely suicidal patient promise not to commit suicide within a certain period of time. Using three clinical examples the unreliability of this suicide-preventing method is demonstrated. When the patient can give such a promise responsibly, it probably is no longer necessary. Also, the patient's giving such a promise can negatively influence the development of the therapeutic relationship. A reciprocal contract should be preferred: the patient contacts the therapist whenever he feels to loose control over his suicidal potential whereas the therapist offers his availability to the patient.
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D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011369:Professional-Patient Relations; D011613:Psychotherapy / Q000379:methods*; D013405:Suicide / Q000523:psychology; D000092864:Suicide Prevention
Zur Psychotherapie der akuten Suizidalität. "Antisuizid-Versprechen" als suizidprophylaktische Methode.