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Abstract

The findings of an international workshop on improving clinical interactions between mental health workers and suicidal patients are reported. Expert clinician-researchers identified common contemporary problems in interviews of suicide attempters. Various videotaped interviews of suicide attempters were critically discussed in relation to expert experience and the existing literature in this area. The working group agreed that current mental health practice often does not take into account the subjective experience of patients attempting suicide, and that contemporary clinical assessments of suicidal behavior are more clinician-centered than patient-centered. The group concluded that clinicians should strive for a shared understanding of the patient’s suicidality; and that interviewers should be more aware of the suicidal patient’s inner experience of mental pain and loss of self-respect. Collaborative and narrative approaches to the suicidal patient are more promising enhancing the clinician s ability to empathize and help the patient begin to reestablish a sense of mastery, thereby strengthening the clinical alliance.

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Published In

Go to American Journal of Psychotherapy
Go to American Journal of Psychotherapy
American Journal of Psychotherapy
Pages: 424 - 437
PubMed: 12400207

History

Published in print: 2002, pp. 299–453
Published online: 30 April 2018

Authors

Details

Konrad Michel, M.D. [email protected]
Professor, University Psychiatric Services (UPD), Department of Social and Community Psychiatry.
John T. Maltsberger, M.D.
Private Practice, Brookline, Massachusetts, Associate Clinical Professor of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, USA.
David A. Jobes, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Psychology, The Catholic University of America (CUA), Department of Psychology, Washington, DC, USA.
Antoon A. Leenaars, Ph.D.
Private Practice, Windsor, Canada.
Israel Orbach, Ph.D.
Professor of Psychology, Department of Psychology, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel.
Kathrin Stadler, M.D.
Geriatric Department, Zieglerspital, Bern, Switzerland
Pascal Dey, M.A.
University of Economics, St. Gallen, Switzerland
Richard A. Young, Ed.D.
Professor of Counselling Psychology, University of British Columbia, Canada
Ladislav Valach, Ph.D.
Research Fellow, Faculty of Philosophy, Div. of Psychopathology, University of Zurich, Switzerland

Notes

Mailing address: Murtenstrasse 21, CH-3010 Bern, Switzerland. E-mail: [email protected]

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