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Intervention styles with suicidal callers at two suicide prevention centers
1University of Quebec at Montreal, Psychology Department, Canada.
Suicide & Life-Threatening Behavior
|January 1, 1995
Summary
Suicide prevention volunteers use two main intervention styles: nondirective and directive. The study found that caller characteristics, not volunteer traits, determined which style was used during crisis calls.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Social Sciences
- Crisis Intervention
Background:
- Suicide prevention centers rely heavily on trained volunteers to assist callers in crisis.
- Understanding the dynamics of these interventions is crucial for improving support effectiveness.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze the nature of interventions provided by volunteers to suicidal callers.
- To identify the determinants influencing the style of crisis intervention used.
Main Methods:
- A total of 617 calls from suicidal clients were analyzed.
- The Helper's Response List, a 20-category rating instrument, was used for classification.
- Cluster analysis identified two primary intervention styles: nondirective and directive.
Main Results:
- Interventions were categorized into two main styles: nondirective (Rogerian) and directive.
- Nondirective interventions were used in 391 calls, while directive interventions were used in 226 calls.
- The choice of intervention style was more strongly associated with caller characteristics than with volunteer characteristics.
Conclusions:
- Volunteer interventions in suicide prevention can be broadly classified into nondirective and directive approaches.
- Caller-specific factors appear to be more influential than volunteer-specific factors in shaping intervention style.
- These findings can inform training and practice for suicide prevention volunteers.