Psychologists’ Willingness to Provide Services to Individuals at Risk of Suicide

Abstract

Recommendations for improving the responsiveness of private practitioners are provided, with an emphasis on enhancing clinical training and increasing the availability and accessibility of mental health resources.

“Will you treat me? I'm suicidal!” The effect of patient gender, suicidal severity, and therapist characteristics on the therapist's likelihood to treat a hypothetical suicidal patient

“…Consistent with Levi‐Belz et al (), our findings indicate that when mental health professionals are faced with a potential suicidal patient, they are less likely to treat and more likely to refer them to other professionals compared with a potential depressive nonsuicidal patient. This finding is in line with Maltsberger's () claim that many therapists exclude suicidal patients from their practices—a concerning and particularly relevant fact (Groth & Boccio, ; Levi‐Belz et al, ). Shiles () suggests that therapists may repress their feelings of guilt over rejection and unwillingness to treat suicidal patients, while rationalizing it through the ethical code of mental health professionals that supports the referral of suicidal patients in such cases.…”

“…Nevertheless, given the estimation that suicide rates will elevate over time (World Health Organization, ), there is a growing need to study the effect of suicidality on the willingness of mental health professionals to accept patients who engage in suicidal ideations or behaviour. Studies on this issue are thus far scarce and limited to the professional characteristics of mental health professionals (e.g., competence and training in suicide prevention;Groth & Boccio, ; Levi‐Belz et al, ). Our study offers additional evidence regarding this important subject and helps to better specify variables that influence the willingness to treat or likelihood to refer a suicidal patient.…”

“…These difficulties in treating suicidal patients and the fear of losing a patient to suicide raise questions regarding the extent to which mental health professionals are willing to treat suicidal patients and the extent to which they are likely to refer them to other professionals. Previous studies have shown a lower level of willingness to treat (and higher likelihood to refer) a patient presenting suicidality compared with a patient without an elevated risk for suicide (Groth & Boccio, ; Levi‐Belz, Barzilay, Levy, & David, ). These lower rates were associated with concerns related to competence and specific training in suicide prevention.…”

“…In addition, this present study aims to explore the contribution of professional and personality variables of mental health professionals in this relationship. Based on Groth and Boccio () and Levi‐Belz et al's () designs, this study aims to expand the understanding of this linkage by adding several important variables into the equation (e.g., gender and therapist's emotional contagion and depression). In the current study, mental health professionals from different professions were randomly exposed to one of four case descriptions of a hypothetical patient in crisis.…”

Addressing Suicide Risk According to Different Healthcare Professionals in Spain: A Qualitative Study

“…Psychologists, for their part, are more concerned with the identification and treatment of the earliest signs and symptoms of risk for suicide, as well as with the prevention and eradication of risk behaviors in patients who have already attempted suicide [ 46 , 47 , 48 ]. However, it should be emphasized that these professionals could have an even greater implication in the treatment of people at risk of suicide [ 49 ].…”