Theoretical foundations for application of mindfulness- and compassion-based interventions in suicide prevention
Diane Joss1,2,3,4
1Center for Mindfulness and Compassion, Cambridge Health Alliance, Malden, MA, USA.
Purpose Of Review:
Suicidality is a devastating public health problem, yet effective interventions are still lacking. This commentary outlines the theoretical foundations for applying mindfulness- and compassion-based interventions for suicide prevention, through explaining how the therapeutic elements of these interventions address common psychological risk factors for suicide.
Recent Findings:
Accumulating research data from the meditation research literature points to the safety, feasibility, accessibility, and cost-effectiveness of mindfulness- and compassion-based intervention programs. Emerging data on their application to suicide prevention in outpatient as well as inpatient settings has demonstrated the safety and feasibility of these programs.
Summary:
Developing trauma-sensitive suicide prevention programs based on mindfulness and compassion is a promising direction for clinical innovations.
Clinical Opinion:
Based on the potentials demonstrated from emerging research data, it is possible to develop mindfulness- or compassion-based intervention programs that are versatile, scalable, cost-effective and easily accessible across multiple sectors of suicide prevention.
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