[Help-seeking behavior and compliance of suicidal patients]

The literature reporting on the readiness of persons at suicide risk to make use of helping agencies and to comply with therapeutic advice is reviewed including first results of an experimental investigation carried out by the authors and associates. Selection phenomena in the field of suicide prevention which have received little attention yet are demonstrated by means of data on the patients of different helping agencies. According to the results, medical practitioners are a primary resource of outstanding importance. There is also evidence for services like the Telefonseelsorge to be important factors in suicide prevention. Generally, the patients are more willing to follow therapeutic recommendations than so seek help spontaneously. In suicide attempters the utilization of recommended care can be considerably improved by increasing the motivation of patients, by intensifying the primary psychiatric intervention, and by avoiding a change of the therapist. The therapist's professional skill may also have an important influence on compliance and on drop-out rates.