Citation

Joe S, Niedermeier D. Br. J. Soc. Work 2008; 38(3): 507-530.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2008, Oxford University Press)

DOI

10.1093/bjsw/bcl353

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Social workers encounter suicidal clients; however, little is known about social work's empirical knowledge base for suicide assessment and treatment. In the first comprehensive study of social work's contribution to the suicide literature, the authors conducted systematic electronic and manual searches for suicide research published in peer-reviewed journals by social work investigators for the period 1980-2006, with the purpose of ascertaining the state of clinical knowledge related to suicide risk factors and effective treatments. These findings reveal that despite recent increases to the study of suicide by social work researchers, they have contributed limited evidenced-based knowledge in the last twenty-six years on the treatment or prevention of suicide or suicide-related behaviours. The article outlines the risk factors for suicide and discusses the implications for clinical social work practice and research. © The Author 2006. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The British Association of Social Workers. All rights reserved.

Language: en

Keywords

Research; Suicide; Treatment; Clinical knowledge