Citation

Ghahramanlou-Holloway M, Bhar SS, Brown GK, Olsen C, Beck AT. Psychol. Med. 2011; 42(6): 1-9.

Affiliation

Department of Medical and Clinical Psychology, Department of Psychiatry, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, USA.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2011, Cambridge University Press)

DOI

10.1017/S0033291711002169

PMID

22008384

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Cognitive therapy has been found to be effective in decreasing the recurrence of suicide attempts. A theoretical aim of cognitive therapy is to improve problem-solving skills so that suicide no longer remains the only available option. This study examined the differential rate of change in problem-solving appraisal following suicide attempts among individuals who participated in a randomized controlled trial for the prevention of suicide.MethodChanges in problem-solving appraisal from pre- to 6-months post-treatment in individuals with a recent suicide attempt, randomized to either cognitive therapy (n=60) or a control condition (n=60), were assessed by using the Social Problem-Solving Inventory-Revised, Short Form. RESULTS: Improvements in problem-solving appraisal were similarly observed for both groups within the 6-month follow-up. However, during this period, individuals assigned to the cognitive therapy condition demonstrated a significantly faster rate of improvement in negative problem orientation and impulsivity/carelessness. More specifically, individuals receiving cognitive therapy were significantly less likely to report a negative view toward life problems and impulsive/carelessness problem-solving style. CONCLUSIONS: Cognitive therapy for the prevention of suicide provides rapid changes within 6 months on negative problem orientation and impulsivity/carelessness problem-solving style. Given that individuals are at the greatest risk for suicide within 6 months of their last suicide attempt, the current study demonstrates that a brief cognitive intervention produces a rapid rate of improvement in two important domains of problem-solving appraisal during this sensitive period.

Language: en