Discussion Thoughts about suicidal ideation risk assessments

[Sammie]

Who else thinks the notion of asking a person questions and "assessing risk" is a joke? I mean, who in their right mind would tell the truth unless they want to be immediately hospitalized? These assessments are for those who want to be helped, I believe, not for the serious.

 

[dtjb]

I feel like it's because the point isn't really to assess your actual risk, it's to cover their asses from liability in the case that you kill yourself. Helping you or whatever is ancillary to the goal of assessing their own risk... Of getting sued lol.

You can see the risk in the people lashing out at this forum and trying to get it shut down. Suicide causes grief and those left behind go looking for someone to blame. Sometimes it's us here, sometimes it's their psych or therapist. So it makes sense to protect yourself from that if you can.

 

[LaVieEnRose]

I feel like it's because the point isn't really to assess your actual risk, it's to cover their asses from liability in the case that you kill yourself. Helping you or whatever is ancillary to the goal of assessing their own risk... Of getting sued lol.

You can see the risk in the people lashing out at this forum and trying to get it shut down. Suicide causes grief and those left behind go looking for someone to blame. Sometimes it's us here, sometimes it's their psych or therapist. So it makes sense to protect yourself from that if you can.

Exactly. When a patient admits they are suicidal, the clinicians first thought isn't "omg they might die" but rather "omg I need to protect myself". Now that's certainly understandable because as you said their professional and personal lives are at stake; they just should be more honest about their motivations.