The ten Most Common Errors of Suicide Interventionists (IN: Treatment of Suicidal People, ed. by A. A. Leenaars et al)

The common limitations of suicide interventiontists were determined by analyzing the responses of 121 medical residents & 94 master’s-level counsellors to the Suicide Intervention Response Inventory. Some of the more common errors that were revealed were: 1) offering superficial reassurance; 2) inadequate assessment of suicidal intent; & 3) advice giving. In spite of these findings, most members of the sample were generally competent in selecting facilitative responses. (18 refs, 1 appendix)