The outpatient treatment of suicidality: An integration of science and recognition of its limitations

The clinical assessment of suicidality is one of the most challenging tasks the mental health clinician can face. This article offers 22 recommendatio ns for the outpatient psychotherapeutic treatment of suicidality in adults and adolescents. These recommendations cut across all domains of clinical p ractice. A rationale is presented that the stated recommendations need an e mpirical base, in contrast to the existing litigation-determined standard o f care that has emerged over the last several decades. The authors review e mpirical literature, acknowledge identifiable limitations, and emphasize im plications for day-to-day clinical practice and the continuing evolution of standards of care.