TY - JOUR

T1 - The treatment in the Danish suicide prevention clinics

T2 - a clinician perspective

AU - Lahoz, Titia

AU - Winsløv, Jan Henrik

AU - Christiansen, Rikke

AU - Krogh, Søren

AU - Knudsen, Per Bjerregaard

AU - Wang, August G.

AU - Erlangsen, Annette

AU - Nielsen, Klaus

PY - 2020

Y1 - 2020

N2 - Background: Few qualitative studies have focused on clinicians’ perspectives regarding treatment of suicidal people. Despite limited evidence and imperfect risk-assessment tools, the psychosocial therapy at the Danish suicide prevention clinics has been linked to reductions in numbers of repeated self-harm, deaths by suicide, and other causes. This merits an investigation into how clinicians describe their practice. Methods: Using a qualitative design, 10 semi-structured interviews were conducted and analyzed to describe the psychosocial therapy. Results: The practices that the therapists described could be categorized along four dichotomous continuums. These illustrated dilemmas encountered during treatment of suicidal patients: 1) intuitive vs. specific risk assessment, 2) meaningful vs. formal, 3) patient-oriented vs. therapist-oriented and 4) direct vs. indirect approach to suicide prevention. Conclusions: Treatment in the Danish Suicide Prevention Clinics is characterized by methodological flexibility and diversity and with an emphasis on a patient-oriented approach. Furthermore, clinicians balance knowledge available by switching between a direct and an indirect approach according to the perceived suicide risk. If suicide risk was perceived as high, they would administer a direct approach and if low, an indirect approach. Finally, there seems to be differences as to how effective therapeutic methodologies work in the practice of suicide prevention.

AB - Background: Few qualitative studies have focused on clinicians’ perspectives regarding treatment of suicidal people. Despite limited evidence and imperfect risk-assessment tools, the psychosocial therapy at the Danish suicide prevention clinics has been linked to reductions in numbers of repeated self-harm, deaths by suicide, and other causes. This merits an investigation into how clinicians describe their practice. Methods: Using a qualitative design, 10 semi-structured interviews were conducted and analyzed to describe the psychosocial therapy. Results: The practices that the therapists described could be categorized along four dichotomous continuums. These illustrated dilemmas encountered during treatment of suicidal patients: 1) intuitive vs. specific risk assessment, 2) meaningful vs. formal, 3) patient-oriented vs. therapist-oriented and 4) direct vs. indirect approach to suicide prevention. Conclusions: Treatment in the Danish Suicide Prevention Clinics is characterized by methodological flexibility and diversity and with an emphasis on a patient-oriented approach. Furthermore, clinicians balance knowledge available by switching between a direct and an indirect approach according to the perceived suicide risk. If suicide risk was perceived as high, they would administer a direct approach and if low, an indirect approach. Finally, there seems to be differences as to how effective therapeutic methodologies work in the practice of suicide prevention.

KW - intervention

KW - qualitative

KW - Suicide

U2 - 10.1080/08039488.2020.1759683

DO - 10.1080/08039488.2020.1759683

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 32379558

AN - SCOPUS:85084421941

VL - 74

SP - 533

EP - 540

JO - Nordisk Psykiatrisk Tidsskrift

JF - Nordisk Psykiatrisk Tidsskrift

SN - 0803-9496

IS - 7

ER -