Use of No-Suicide Contracts by Psychiatrists in Minnesota
- 1 October 2000
- journal article
- Published by American Psychiatric Association Publishing in American Journal of Psychiatry
- Vol. 157 (10), 1684-1686
- https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ajp.157.10.1684
Abstract
The no-suicide contract is widely recommended as an important intervention in the care of suicidal patients; however, there are no data demonstrating its effectiveness or its acceptance in the professional community. This study examines the use of no-suicide contracts by psychiatrists in Minnesota. A postcard questionnaire was mailed to 514 psychiatrists in Minnesota inquiring about their practices and experiences with no-suicide contracts. There were 267 responses, yielding a response rate of 52%. No-suicide contracts were used by 152 (57%) of the respondents. Within this group, 62 (41%) of the psychiatrists had patients who committed suicide or made serious attempts after entering into a no-suicide contract. Among the respondents to the questionnaire, slightly more than half used no-suicide contracts, indicating that such contracts are not universally accepted as standard practice among these psychiatrists. More data are needed to determine the effectiveness of no-suicide contracts in preventing suicide.Keywords
This publication has 2 references indexed in Scilit:
- Toward a Clinical Model of Suicidal Behavior in Psychiatric PatientsAmerican Journal of Psychiatry, 1999
- Assessment and Treatment of Suicidal PatientsNew England Journal of Medicine, 1997