The Harvard Medical School Guide to Suicide Assessment and Intervention

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More than 30, 000 deaths in the United States each year -- more than 80 per day -- are a result of suicide. Suicide is the primary cause of early death among psychiatric patients and an issue in one quarter of all psychiatric malpractice lawsuits. The fundamental question is, How can clinicians identify patients who may be at risk for suicide and take the necessary steps to reduce that risk? This essential resource -- edited by Douglas G. Jacobs, Harvard Medical Schools nationally recognized expert on suicide and depression -- is a compendium of the most current research and authoritative thought on the topic of suicide. Each of the volumes forty-eight contributors is an expert on an aspect of suicide assessment and intervention. The breadth of knowledge offered in this handbook speaks to the fact that suicide is a complex, multidimensional clinical problem that requires a wide range of methods for effective assessment and treatment. This hands-on guide is written for those who have the common yet complex task of assessing suicidality in a patient or client -- psychiatrists, primary care physicians, school counselors, psychologists, psychotherapists, and other mental health professionals. The book helps professionals determine the risk level for suicidal or at-risk patients and recommends a suicide assessment protocol that can be effectively incorporated into clinical practice. The authors also provide guidelines for intervening when a person is at risk for harming himself or herself. Comprehensive in scope, the book offers a wealth of information and practical advice on specific topics, including working with special at-risk populations such as adolescents, thephysically ill, and those with major mental illness, alcoholism, or borderline personality disorder. The book also addresses the somatic treatment of the suicidal patient, including important new findings about the possible antisuicidal effect of lithium. In addition, the guide con