Assessment, Treatment, and Prevention of Suicidal Behavior

Current and comprehensive information concerning the assessment andtreatment of suicidal persons and the prevention of suicidalbehavior The eighth leading cause of death in the United States and thesecond leading cause among U.S. teens, suicide is unique in beingself-inflicted and is, as such, often preventable. By assessing therisk of suicide accurately, providing effective treatment accordingto this risk, and implementing strategies against suicidal urges,mental health professionals can successfully guide their clientsaway from this senseless taking of life. Assessment, Treatment, and Prevention of SuicidalBehavior provides the most current and comprehensive source ofinformation, guidelines, and case studies for working with clientsat risk of suicide. It offers clinicians, counselors, and othermental health professionals a practical toolbox on three main areasof interest: Screening and Assessment covers empirically based assessmenttechniques and how they can define dimensions of vulnerability andmeasure the risk of self-destructive behavior. Authors discussresearch on the use of each screening instrument, guidelines andsuggestions for using the instrument in practice, and a case studyillustrating its application. Intervention and Treatment compares several differentapproaches for structuring psychotherapy with suicidal clients.Each author covers a psychotherapy system, its application tosuicidal clients, and a case study of its real-world use. Suicide and Violence explores the relationship between suicidalindividuals and violence, covering suicide in specific contextssuch as school violence, police confrontations, and terroristviolence. This section also includes a discussion of the increasedrisk of suicide in our more insecure and violent world, as well ashow topromote coping styles for these new anxieties. While addressed mainly to psychologists, social workers, and othermental health professionals for use in serving their clients, aswell as students of psychology, Assessment, Treatment, andPrevention of Suicidal Behavior is also an accessible andvaluable resource for educators, school counselors, and others inrelated fields.