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Conversations About Suicide: Strategies for Detecting and Assessing Suicide Risk

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Abstract

When patients disclose suicidal thoughts, clinicians often feel their anxiety rise. The best remedies for clinician anxiety include an understanding of suicide dynamics and a thoughtful and empathic engagement with patients. Engagement with patients typically includes collaborative exploration of eight psychological, interpersonal, and situational dimensions related to suicidality. These dimensions are rooted in suicide theories and empirical research. In this article, specific strategies are described and illustrated, including strategies for initiating conversations about suicide, exploring different dimensions of suicide, and engaging patients in steps to increase their safety.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Montana, Missoula, Montana, USA

    John Sommers-Flanagan PhD (Clinical Psychologist and Professor of Counselor Education)

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  1. John Sommers-Flanagan PhD
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He writes about suicide and other psychotherapy-related topics. He is the author of nine books, including Clinical Interviewing (6th ed., 2017, Wiley) and How to Listen so Parents will Talk (2011, Wiley).

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Sommers-Flanagan, J. Conversations About Suicide: Strategies for Detecting and Assessing Suicide Risk. J Health Serv Psychol 44, 33–45 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03544661

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