Consultation and the suicidal patient.
This paper presents an argument for a paradigm shift in the way that mental health professionals approach their work with psychiatric patients in the midst of a suicidal crisis and suggests that the time has come to discuss a standard of care based on integration of detected risk factors, effective education and training in suicidology, and most importantly, the routine use of consultation and teamwork. Also proposed is a workable model for the use of consultation that has a number of major components: quality education in suicidology, the training and availability of appropriate consultants, clinical teamwork, and the recognition by training programs and clinical institutions that it is necessary to routinely consider a consultative risk management approach for work with suicidal patients.
Bongar
B
B
Pacific Graduate School of Psychology, Palo Alto, CA 94303.
D003479:Curriculum; D006801:Humans; D007396:Internship and Residency; D010348:Patient Care Team; D011613:Psychotherapy / Q000193:education; D012308:Risk Management; D013405:Suicide / Q000523:psychology; D013406:Suicide, Attempted / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology; D000092864:Suicide Prevention