Suicide and Malpractice: Expert Testimony and the Standard of Care

This research indicates that the suicidal outcome of a case does not bias judgements made about the care given. In general, professional groups tended to agree about the level of care given in the test case. However, the more extensive the involvement one has in suicidology, the greater the gap one perceives between typical & more acceptable levels of care, & the greater the desire to educate the mental health community toward establishing better care. (WAL)