Suicide prevention contract

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A suicide prevention contract is a contract that contains an agreement not to die by suicide. It was historically used by health professionals dealing with depressive clients. [1] Typically, the client was asked to agree to talk with the professional prior to carrying out any decision to die by suicide. Suicide prevention contracts have been shown not to be effective and have risk of harm. [2] Suicide prevention contracts were once a "widely used but overvalued clinical and risk-management technique." [3] Indeed, it has been argued that such contracts "may in fact increase danger by providing psychiatrists with a false sense of security, thus decreasing their clinical vigilance." [4] It has also been argued that such contracts can anger or inhibit the client and introduce coercion into therapy. [5]

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Suicide awareness is a proactive effort to raise awareness around suicidal behaviors. It is focused on reducing social stigmas and ambiguity by bringing attention to suicide statistically and sociologically, and by encouraging positive dialogue and engagement to prevent suicide. Suicide awareness is linked to suicide prevention as both address suicide education and the dissemination of information to ultimately decrease the rate of suicide. Awareness is the first stage that can ease the need for prevention. Awareness signifies a fundamental consciousness of the threat, while prevention focuses on stopping the act. Suicide awareness is not a medical engagement but a combination of medical, social, emotional and financial counseling. Suicide awareness in adolescents focuses on the age group between 10–24 years, beginning with the onset of puberty.

David A. Jobes is an American clinical psychologist. He is currently serving as a Professor of Psychology, Director of the Suicide Prevention Laboratory, and Associate Director of Clinical Training at The Catholic University of America. His areas of focus are on Clinical psychology, Suicide prevention, Clinical Suicidology, Ethics and Risk Management, and clinical risk assessment. In August 2022, he was awarded the Alfred Wellner Award for Lifetime Achievement by The National Register of Health Service Psychologists.

References

  1. Simon, R. I. (1999), "The suicide prevention contract: clinical, legal, and risk management issues", Journal of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law Online, 27 (3), J Am Acad Psychiatry Law: 445–450, PMID   10509943
  2. Ng, C. W. M., How, C. H., & Ng, Y. P. (2017). Depression in primary care: assessing suicide risk. Singapore Medical Journal, 58(2), 72–77. http://doi.org/10.11622/smedj.2017006
  3. MC Miller; DG Jacobs (1998), "Talisman or Taboo: The Controversy of the Suicide-Prevention Contract", Harvard Review of Psychiatry, 6 (2): 78–87, doi:10.3109/10673229809000314, PMID   10370451, S2CID   25202309
  4. The "Suicide-Prevention Contract": A Dangerous Myth, vol. 38, Psychiatric News, July 18, 2003, p. 3
  5. LM Range; C Campbell; SH Kovac (2002), No-suicide contracts: An overview and recommendations (PDF)