For suicidal young adults with comorbid depressive and anxiety disorders, problem-solving treatment may be better than treatment as usual

Practicing psychologists face many complexities and challenges in caring fo r suicidal patients who have comorbid mood and anxiety disorders. Not only must suicidal crises be addressed. but co-occurring depressive and anxiety symptoms compete for attention as well and are associated with relatively p oor clinical prognosis in usual treatments. The current study compared prob lem-solving treatment to treatment as usual among depression-anxiety comorb id versus noncomorbid clinically suicidal young adult,;. Suicidal patients with mood and anxiety disorders were randomized to the 2 treatments and fol lowed over time. Comorbid suicidal patients, in particular, experienced not able symptom improvements from the problem-solving treatment. Features of t he problem-solving treatment are described for use in clinical practice.