Suicide

The most common tactic for suicidal individuals is to treat the underlying psychiatric disturbance using medication and psychotherapy. In recent years, the increasing prescribing of antidepressants appears to have resulted in a decline in suicide rates (Isacsson 2000). In addition, effective psychotherapies have been devised for suicidal individuals (Linehan 1993), and many countries now have networks of telephone crisis centers, functioning twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, for individuals to call during times when they are most distressed (Mishara and Daigle 2001).

However, because interpersonal factors are often involved in precipitating and maintaining the suicidality of people, family therapy is perhaps the most appropriate format for psychotherapy for suicidal individuals. Joseph Richman (1986) has been the leading advocate of this approach.