Year: 2018 Source: Annals of Emergency Medicine. (2016). 67(2): 276-282. doi.org/10.1016/j.annemergmed.2015.09.001 SIEC No: 20180087

Caring for ED patients with suicidal thoughts and behaviors is challenging, given time pressures, boarding of patients waiting for psychiatric beds, and the inherent difficulty in predicting imminent self-harm. However, providers—like patients—should not lose hope: most suicidal crises are short-lived and repeated attempts are not inevitable.1 Not every ED patient with suicidal thoughts needs inpatient admission or even a mental health consultation, and ED providers should take pride in their skills in caring for this at-risk population.