PROTECTING PARTIAL-HOSPITALIZATION PATIENTS FROM SUICIDE

TOPIC. Assessing suicide potential and intervening to prevent suicide in partial-hospitalization patients. PURPOSE. TO provide information f or assessing and intervening with outpatients who express suicidal tho ughts and to propose a decision tree. SOURCE. Literature review, clini cal experience. CONCLUSIONS. Careful assessment and sound management a re required to provide treatment in outpatient settings while maintain ing patient safety. A decision tree can help ti-re clinician make soun d decisions.