Suicide Prevention in the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs: Using the Evidence Without Losing the Narrative

The rate of suicide among veterans continues to be highly problematic. The widespread adoption and mandated implementation of thinly validated and scripted assessment tools have the potential to increase clinician burnout and erode clinician-patient relationships without reaching the goal of reducing veteran suicides. While further development and widespread use of validated suicide prevention interventions are necessary, the need remains to guard against a reductionistic approach that may marginalize valuable patient narratives in the process.