Adolescent suicide--a family crisis: a model for effective intervention by family therapists

Statistics attest to the increasing severity and tragic escalation of adolescent suicidal behavior. The consequences of such self-destructive acts are far-reaching and encompass the adolescent's entire family. By providing guidance, support and counseling throughout this crisis, a family therapist may convert a potentially fatal act into a constructive and viable growth experience for the adolescent and all family members. This paper presents a model of crisis intervention counseling which emphasizes and delineates a professionally appropriate and realistic structure for effectively treating adolescent suicidal patients and their families.