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Understanding Therapists' Work With Suicidal Patients: An Examination of Qualitative Data
Maureen F Monahan1, Kevin J Crowley2, Diane B Arnkoff2
1Department of Psychology, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA.
Omega
|May 11, 2018
Summary
Therapist characteristics influence collaborative assessment and management of suicidality (CAMS) application. Understanding these factors informs CAMS implementation and addresses the impact of patient suicide on clinical practice.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Psychotherapy Research
- Clinical Psychology
Background:
- The Collaborative Assessment and Management of Suicidality (CAMS) framework promotes therapist-patient collaboration.
- Understanding how therapists implement CAMS is crucial for effective suicide risk management.
- Factors influencing adherence to the CAMS framework require further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine how therapists collaboratively utilize the CAMS framework.
- To identify therapists' reasons for adhering to or deviating from CAMS.
- To explore the impact of therapist characteristics and experiences on CAMS application.
Main Methods:
- Utilized an original coding manual to analyze therapist responses to open-ended questions.
- Examined therapist characteristics such as experience, training intensity, and prior experience with patient suicide.
- Assessed the collaborative nature of CAMS implementation through qualitative analysis.
Main Results:
- Therapist characteristics, including experience level and training, correlate with differences in CAMS application.
- Experience with a patient suicide attempt significantly impacts how therapists engage with the CAMS framework.
- Variations in adherence to specific CAMS components were observed.
Conclusions:
- Findings inform therapists on practical collaborative implementation of the CAMS framework.
- The study highlights how personal experiences, like a client's suicide, shape therapeutic approaches to suicidality.
- Recommendations are provided for enhancing collaborative suicide risk management training and practice.