The Threat of Suicide in Psychotherapy (IN: Suicide: Understanding and Responding: Harvard Medical School Perspectives, ed. by D Jacobs and H N Brown)

Following the presentation of background information about the structural model of psychotherapy, in which the relatively autonomous ego is influenced by the social setting & social learning, the author uses 2 case histories to differentiate seriously suicidal persons from those who are not. Clinical choices made in treating these patients are described & an explanation as to the efficacy of structural approaches with suicidal patients is given. 40 refs. (LH)