Confronting suicide
I wrote this reflection for our pre-practicum class at the University of Rochester. The professor asked us to reflect on our readings regarding suicide.
This week, I reflected on Chapter 9, "Suicide Assessment", in Sommers-Flanagan & Sommers-Flanagan's (2015) Clinical Interviewing. Chapter 9 explains why suicide is a central topic in counseling and how counselors need to be able to confront the topic directly without becoming emotionally reactive. Suicide is common in society, cited as the 10th leading cause of death in the USA. Many factors contribute to suicide risk, for example, mental illnesses such as Schizophrenia, Depression, Bipolar disorder, Trauma, and Substance Abuse. The reading states that isolation or loss can also heighten suicide risk. The reading also says there is a correlation between the number of previous attempts and the likelihood of completing suicide.
Chapter 9 explains a shift away from medical model style suicide contracts to a more collaborative form of suicide assessment. Counselors these days take more care to normalize thoughts of suicide as a natural method of coping with pain. Assessment is based on assessing for depression, whilst also intermingling more uplifting questions, to avoid spiraling the client. Counselors should assess not only mood symptoms but also physical, cognitive, and social symptoms of suicidality. A counselor can use a "SLAP" style assessment to identify the specificity of the plan, the lethality of the approach, the availability of the method, and the proximity of supports. The reading also discusses intervention strategies.
New counselors should consult with a supervisor or experienced peer if their client expresses suicidality. There are detailed assessments that a counselor can use to validate the severity of the suicidal thoughts. Assessment is also based on clinical judgment. Counselors should prepare extensively to encounter suicidal clients and be ready to intervene successfully in these highly crucial interactions.
