title: Psychiatric inpatients' perceptions of written no-suicide agreements: an exploratory study.
abstract: One hundred thirty-five psychiatric inpatients admitted for suicidal danger were surveyed regarding their views on the benefits/limitations of written no-suicide agreements. A survey instrument developed for this study revealed that these inpatients, for the most part, rated written no-suicide agreements in a positive manner and in ways consistent with clinical opinion expressed in a number of qualitative/expert-opinion articles. Positive views of no-suicide agreements were not materially influenced by social desirability or age, nor were they moderated by gender, presence/absence of Axis II disorders, or admission suicidal danger. However, patient suicide attempt history (no attempts, one attempt, or more than one attempt) exerted a moderating effect on patients' ratings of the helpfulness of these contracts. Multiple attempters viewed written no-suicide agreements as less helpful than those patients with a single or no prior attempts. The methodological problems and generalizability concerns associated with these results are discussed and future research needs are suggested.
authors.affiliation: Prairie View, Inc, Emergency Intervention and Screening Team, Newton, KS 67114-0467, USA. davisse@pvi.org
authors.forename: Steven E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Davis
authors.forename: Ivan S
authors.initials: IS
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.forename: Larry W
authors.initials: LW
authors.lastname: Hays
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007297:Inpatients; D007615:Kansas; D008297:Male; D017008:Negotiating; D011613:Psychotherapy / Q000379:methods*; D013405:Suicide / Q000523:psychology; D000092864:Suicide Prevention