The Suicidal Patient

This edition is no longer for sale. However, the third edition is available.

A psychologist involved in direct patient care has a better than 1-in-5 chance of losing a patient to suicide during his or her professional career—for the average psychiatrist, the odds are better than 50–50. The Suicidal Patient proposes realistic standards of care and a high-quality working model for the assessment, management, and treatment of the suicidal patient in both inpatient and outpatient contexts. It also combines detailed suggestions for optimal clinical practice with sophisticated risk management strategies for both suicide prevention and postvention.

The Suicidal Patient includes an extensive clinical and legal bibliography, along with suicide risk estimators and legal action guidelines for optimal psychological practice—and much more. This volume is for those involved in direct service, training, supervision, and administration of programs where suicidal patients are seen.

Foreword

Preface

Acknowledgments

1. The Knowledge Base
2. Suicide: Legal Perspectives
3. The Assessment of Elevated Risk
4. Outpatient Management and Treatment of the Suicidal Patient
5. Inpatient Management and Treatment of the Suicidal Patient
6. Risk Management: Prevention and Postvention

Afterword

References

Appendices

1. Rates of Completed Suicide in the United States
2. Suicide Risk Estimators and Scales
3. An Antisuicide Contract
4. Other Suicide Risk Factor Checklists
5. Legal Issues in Emergency Psychiatry

Index