An outpatient who performs a suicide rehearsal should be considered at acute, high risk for suicide, and immediate psychiatric hospitalization may be necessary. Whether as an inpatient or outpatient, the patient’s suicide intent and plan require careful exploration. The information gained will guide treatment and management decisions. Continuing systematic suicide risk assessment is essential.
Related Resources
- American Association of Suicidology. www.suicidology.org.
- Joiner T. Why people die by suicide. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press; 2007.
- American Psychiatric Association. Practice guideline for the assessment and treatment of patients with suicidal behaviors. Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Publishing, Inc. 2003.
- Simon RI. Preventing patient suicide: clinical assessment and management. Arlington, VA: American Psychiatric Publishing, Inc.; 2011.
Disclosure
Dr. Simon reports no financial relationship with any company whose products are mentioned in this article or with manufacturers of competing products.