Almost a million people die by suicide every year (WHO estimate) The sheer numbers have made suicide prevention a major health target, but effective prevention is not straightforward. Suicide is a complex event, more complex than most of us imagine, calling for an equally complex response. Psychotherapy with Suicidal People provides a multi-component approach, with rich clinical data including many case histories, to guide the reader. Based on decades of research from across the globe, Antoon A. Leenaars takes the reader into the mind of the suicidal person, from the young to the elderly, from the anonymous to the famous. There is no better way to know, and thus to treat, a person. A plethora of special features makes this volume an international classic and includes: Reflections of many suicidologists such as Heraclitus, Plato, Sigmund Freud, Emile Durkheim and Edwin Shneidman. A unique window on the clinical mind of the author. Empirically supported definition, with applications across age, gender, historical time, as well as culture. The report of the International Working Group on Ethical and Legal Issues in Suicidology. Psychotherapy with Suicidal People: A Person-centred Approach is essential reading for clinical psychologists, psychiatrists and their trainees, and all clinicians who work with suicidal people.

This title is directed primarily towards health care professionals outside of the United States. This book is based on a three year qualitative study (a study that was funded by the United Kingdom Department of Health) that investigated how psychiatric nurses provided care for suicidal people. Drawing on service user data, this book contains and explains an evidence-based (empirically induced) theory of how to care for suicidal people. Far from being an esoteric theory with no clinical applicability, the findings captured in this book are grounded in the reality of day-to-day practice. Furthermore, in addition to tracing the role of nurses in caring for suicidal people, the authors use their findings to launch into formal level issues regarding future research, education and policy; as well as focusing on the ethical issues involved in care of the suicidal person. The authors close by shifting the focus on 'suicide survivors' and with the help of contributing aithors. As the eminent suicidology scholars who have generously provided their Forewords note - this is a must-read book for anyone involved in the care of the suicidal person.

Treatment of suicidal people takes three forms: prevention - strategies to avert conditions leading to suicide; intervention - treatment and care during the crisis; and postvention - response after the event has occurred. Unlike other current literature, here the focus is on the state of the art of intervention. This type of examination is essential, because suicidal people themselves are in need of such treatments - crisis intervention, psychotherapy, psychopharmacology and hospitalization. Written by professionals in the field, the Treatment of Suicidal People allows readers to participate in a learning experience. First is a case presentation of an individual - Arthur Inman - and his long road toward suicide, as chronicled in his personal diary. The seond section puts forth guidelines for the evaluation of suicide risk and crisis intervention. A focus on more sustained efforts in psychotherapy is next, a theme which is continued in the fourth part by addressing psychiatric issues that are essential for treatment of highly disturbed and lethal patients. The following section examines a number of clinical and legal issues that transcend any one population of suicidal people, and any particular treatment approach or context. And lastly, the volume returns to Arthur Inman, with case consultations providing alternative perspectives and recommendations on his treatment. Suicide and related forms of self-injurious behaviour can be circumvented, if the involved professionals are sufficiently trained in assessment and prevention.

Current and comprehensive information concerning the assessment and treatment of suicidal persons and the prevention of suicidal behavior The eighth leading cause of death in the United States and the second leading cause among U.S. teens, suicide is unique in being self-inflicted and is, as such, often preventable. By assessing the risk of suicide accurately, providing effective treatment according to this risk, and implementing strategies against suicidal urges, mental health professionals can successfully guide their clients away from this senseless taking of life. Assessment, Treatment, and Prevention of Suicidal Behavior provides the most current and comprehensive source of information, guidelines, and case studies for working with clients at risk of suicide. It offers clinicians, counselors, and other mental health professionals a practical toolbox on three main areas of interest: Screening and Assessment covers empirically based assessment techniques and how they can define dimensions of vulnerability and measure the risk of self-destructive behavior. Authors discuss research on the use of each screening instrument, guidelines and suggestions for using the instrument in practice, and a case study illustrating its application. Intervention and Treatment compares several different approaches for structuring psychotherapy with suicidal clients. Each author covers a psychotherapy system, its application to suicidal clients, and a case study of its real-world use. Suicide and Violence explores the relationship between suicidal individuals and violence, covering suicide in specific contexts such as school violence, police confrontations, and terrorist violence. This section also includes a discussion of the increased risk of suicide in our more insecure and violent world, as well as how topromote coping styles for these new anxieties. While addressed mainly to psychologists, social workers, and other mental health professionals for use in serving their clients, as well as students of psychology, Assessment, Treatment, and Prevention of Suicidal Behavior is also an accessible and valuable resource for educators, school counselors, and others in related fields.

Konrad Michel, a leading psychiatrist and acclaimed expert, draws on decades of experience to offer necessary new ways of understanding—and preventing—suicide. After one of his first patients died by suicide, Michel devoted himself to researching self-harm. Writing vividly and personally, he recounts more than forty years of working with and learning from suicidal patients. Michel shows that suicide is not just a consequence of mental illness but an action related to a person’s life story. Drawing on hundreds of interviews with suicidal patients, he argues that suicide and suicide attempts occur when someone experiences extreme emotional pain that severely impairs the ability to think and act rationally. Based on this understanding, Michel and his colleagues developed a person-centered approach to treatment that overcomes the limitations of the traditional medical model. Through a brief therapy, patients find a personally meaningful narrative understanding of their suicidal thoughts and impulses. People at risk can learn to recognize their vulnerabilities in order to manage potentially life-threatening situations and keep themselves safe. Michel emphasizes the importance of communication: medical professionals need to connect with patients as individuals to identify specific warning signs. Both compassionate and rigorous, this book provides vital insight into suicide prevention and shows how changing attitudes will help save lives. It includes practical advice for people at risk, with special emphasis on young people, as well as for relatives and health professionals.

Helping the Suicidal Person provides a highly practical toolbox for mental health professionals. The book first covers the need for professionals to examine their own personal experiences and fears around suicide, moves into essential areas of risk assessment, safety planning, and treatment planning, and then provides a rich assortment of tips for reducing the person’s suicidal danger and rebuilding the wish to live. The techniques described in the book can be interspersed into any type of therapy, no matter what the professional’s theoretical orientation is and no matter whether it’s the client’s first, tenth, or one-hundredth session. Clinicians don’t need to read this book in any particular order, or even read all of it. Open the book to any page, and find a useful tip or technique that can be applied immediately.

An innovative and long overdue book by the world's leading researchers and practitioners, describing what really works in suicide prevention, the evidence for particular approaches, where the gaps are in our knowledge, and how we can fill them.Suicide rat

The first edition of People in Crisis, published in 1978, established success as a comprehensive and user-friendly text for health and social service professionals. The book and its following incarnations included critical life events and life cycle transition challenges, clearly pointing out the interconnections between such events, stressful developmental changes, and their potential for growth but also danger of suicide and/or violence toward others. This revised edition includes new case examples and expanded coverage of cross-cultural content, including 'commonalities and differences' in origins, manifestations, and crisis responses. The authors illustrate the application of crisis concepts, assessment, and intervention strategies across a wide range of health and mental health settings, as well as at home, school, workplace, and in the community. Each chapter contains a closing summary that includes discussion questions, references, and online data sources for maximum application and learning. Updated chapters discuss new, research-based content on: • workplace violence and abuse • youth violence in schools and higher education settings • the use of psychotropic drugs, including for very young children in the absence of comprehensive assessment • the crisis vulnerability of war veterans and the hazards of 'pathologizing' what should be considered a 'normal' response to the repeated and catastrophic trauma of war • the intersection of socio-political factors with individuals’ psychological healing from catastrophic experiences such as war and natural disaster.