Can positive emotion influence problem-solving attitudes among suicidal adults?

A client's mood can hinder or enhance treatment and its effectiveness. Posi tive emotions can encourage exploration and experimentation, and they may h ave the long-term effect of resource building. The purpose of the present s tudy was to assess this perspective as applied to the treatment of suicidal individuals. The authors found that patients prone to positive moods, as c ompared with those less prone to such moods, displayed more positive proble m-solving attitudes following treatment for suicidal symptoms, and, partly as a function thereof, displayed enhanced treatment response. These finding s suggest that clinicians may improve their chances of achieving successful treatment outcomes if they present skill-building treatments during window s of positive mood for the client, rather than in times of crisis.