Commonsense Recommendations for Standard Care of Suicidal Risk

Suicide is the tenth leading cause of death in the United States, yet many mental health providers have limited academic-based training in its assessment and treatment. A commonsense approach to caring for suicide risk includes (a) identification, (b) assessment, (c) safety planning with lethal means discussion and offer of resources, and (d) the use of caring contact. In addition, it is optimal to explore the specifics of the patient’s suicidal struggle to better understand, manage, and treat those issues and problems that compel the patient to consider suicide. Examples of the phrasing for interventions and clinically relevant commentary are provided.