Managing suicidal emergencies: Recommendations for the practitioner

All practicing psychologists with an active caseload occasionally encounter a patient or client whom they consider to be a suicidal emergency. Few psy chologists, however, have had education or training focused on managing suc h cases. The current article conceptualizes what a "behavioral emergency" i s, gives recommendations for containing the emergency client's emotional tu rmoil, and sets forth an evidence-based approach, using diagnosis-specific risk factors, for improving the clinician's ability to estimate suicide ris k. Recommendations are also given for appropriate responses to the patient or client on the basis of the level of estimated risk. Having such an algor ithm or plan for dealing with the suicidal client is essential to good prac tice.