Citation

Kroll J. Am. J. Psychiatry 2000; 157(10): 1684-1686.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2000, American Psychiatric Association)

DOI

10.1176/appi.ajp.157.10.1684

PMID

11007726

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: The no-suicide contract is widely recommended as an important intervention in the care of suicidal patients; however, there are no data demonstrating its effectiveness or its acceptance in the professional community. This study examines the use of no-suicide contracts by psychiatrists in Minnesota.

METHOD: A postcard questionnaire was mailed to 514 psychiatrists in Minnesota inquiring about their practices and experiences with no-suicide contracts.

RESULTS: There were 267 responses, yielding a response rate of 52%. No-suicide contracts were used by 152 (57%) of the respondents. Within this group, 62 (41%) of the psychiatrists had patients who committed suicide or made serious attempts after entering into a no-suicide contract.

CONCLUSIONS: Among the respondents to the questionnaire, slightly more than half used no-suicide contracts, indicating that such contracts are not universally accepted as standard practice among these psychiatrists. More data are needed to determine the effectiveness of no-suicide contracts in preventing suicide.

Language: en

Keywords

*Practice Patterns, Physicians'; *Suicide Prevention; Female; Humans; Male; Mental Disorders/psychology/*therapy; Minnesota; Patient Care; Physician-Patient Relations; Postal Service; Psychiatry/*organization & administration; Risk Assessment; Risk Management/methods/statistics & numerical data; Suicide, Attempted/prevention & control/psychology; Surveys and Questionnaires