Management of the Suicidal Patient
Summary
Management of the suicidal patient is a challenging clinical task, yet a core competency in psychiatry. Assessing suicidal risk requires rapport, and aims to determine diagnosis, demographic and clinical risk and protective risk factors. Treatment approaches to suicidal ideation and behavior (suicidality) focus on management of the underlying disorder or direct treatment of the suicidality. Few treatments have empirical support for the management of suicidality. Of the pharmacological treatments, lithium and clozapine have evidence of efficacy as do the psychotherapies cognitive behavioral therapy and dialectical behavior therapy. Newer antidepressants have been associated with reduced suicide rates.