title: No-suicide contracts: an overview and recommendations.
abstract: No-suicide contracts, in their various forms, can deepen commitment to a positive action, strengthen the therapeutic alliance, facilitate communication, lower anxiety, aid assessment, and document precautions. Conversely, they can anger or inhibit the client, introduce coercion into therapy, be used disingenuously, and induce false security in the clinician. Research on no-suicide contracts (frequency surveys, assessments of behavior after contracting, and opinions of users) has limitations common to naturalistic studies, and is now ready for more rigorous methods. Mental health professions should be trained to deal with suicidal individuals, including how to use no-suicide contracts. Good contracts are specific, individualized, collaborative, positive, context-sensitive, and copied. However, they are not a thorough assessment, a guarantee against legal liability, nor a substitute for a caring, sensitive therapeutic interaction. No-suicide contracts are no substitute for sound clinical judgment.
authors.affiliation: University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, Mississippi, USA. L.range@usm.edu
authors.forename: Lillian M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Range
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Campbell
authors.forename: Stacey H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Kovac
authors.forename: Michelle
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Marion-Jones
authors.forename: Holly
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Aldridge
authors.forename: Stephen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kogos
authors.forename: Yolanda
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Crump
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D006801:Humans; D017008:Negotiating / Q000379:methods; D010358:Patient Participation; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D011584:Psychology / Q000295:instrumentation*; D000092864:Suicide Prevention