Abstract
A review of literature on suicide shows a focus on early detection of those at risk of suicide and on the traits of those who actually commit suicide, but little attention to the therapeutic decisions of those who treat suicidal patients. Through in-depth interviews, 27 therapists from an interdisciplinary mental health center were asked about their theoretical formulations regarding suicide and their therapeutic preferences in working with suicidal clients: Significant differences were found between the nine respondents who had experienced the suicide of a patient in their caseload and the others who had not.
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The authors express appreciation to the staff of Granite Communiny Mental Health Center where the study was conducted.
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Gurrister, L., Kane, R.A. How therapists perceive and treat suicidal patients. Community Ment Health J 14, 3–13 (1978). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00781306
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00781306