title: [Suicidal calls to a telephone emergency service].
abstract: Suicidal threats and suicidal ideation among callers to the Israeli hot-line (ERAN) were investigated, using 2 methods of analysis. The first, an epidemiological survey based on 8,272 calls received by all 8 ERAN posts during 2 years, reported on their standard form for recording interactions with suicidal callers. The second is content analysis of 42 detailed reports of interactions with such callers. Epidemiological analysis revealed a higher rate of suicidal ideation among callers with a psychiatric history, compared with those without a history. However, the 2 groups did not differ in rate of suicidal threats. In addition, suicidal threats of adolescents were related mainly to problems of identity and self-image, while mental disorders were the main problems among adults. Content analysis identified 2 patterns of terminating the interaction, which represent 2 strategies of intervention to prevent suicide. The first is establishing a contact between the caller and an appropriate individual in the caller's environment who undertakes responsibility to help the caller. The second strategy is reducing the caller's tension, leading to a withdrawal of the suicidal threat. The first pattern is more characteristic of interactions with psychiatric callers, while the second is more frequent among non-psychiatric callers to ERAN. The hot-line makes a unique contribution in helping those threatening suicide, which constitutes a real emergency.
authors.affiliation: ERAN (Israel Association for Emotional First Aid).
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Gilat
authors.forename: Z E
authors.initials: ZE
authors.lastname: Gil
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D004637:Emergency Services, Psychiatric; D005260:Female; D015277:Hotlines; D006801:Humans; D007557:Israel / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009790:Occupations; D011369:Professional-Patient Relations; D013405:Suicide / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D013406:Suicide, Attempted / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000092864:Suicide Prevention