AN INTEGRATIVE CONCEPTUAL-FRAMEWORK FOR ASSESSING AND TREATING SUICIDAL-BEHAVIOR IN ADOLESCENTS

Suicidal adolescents represent a uniquely demanding clinical populatio n. Regardless of psychotherapeutic orientation, the existing standards of care demand a relatively broad and integrative approach with multi ple and specific treatment targets, as well as ongoing and repeated ri sk assessment. The current article provides an integrative conceptual framework for these tasks in day to day clinical practice with essenti ally two goals: (1) to provide a summary of therapeutic and assessment tasks (i.e. the content of therapy and assessment) consistent with ex isting standards of care and supported by empirical findings, and (2) to emphasize the varied roles, tasks, demands and limitations of psych otherapy with suicidal adolescents. (C) 1998 The Association for Profe ssionals in Services for Adolescents.