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Greater Suicide Prevention Efforts Needed in Clinical Practice, Experts Say
Jill Harkavy-Friedman, PhD, vice president of research and leader for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (ASFP), shares her hopes for this year's annual Suicide Prevention Week, what attendees can expect to learn at her upcoming Psych Congress 2022 session, what clinicians need to know about current trends in the field, and how to treat patients with suicide ideation.
Suicide Prevention360 is a sweeping effort in partnership with Psych Congress and the AFSP, to develop and deliver critical educational resources for mental health clinicians and other medical professionals aimed at preventing suicides.
Psych Congress Network (PCN): September 4-10, 2022 is Suicide Prevention Week. How do you hope that this week impacts the field in terms of awareness and prevention?
Jill Harkavy-Friedman, PhD: Suicide Prevention Week is an opportunity to raise awareness and knowledge about suicide, and teach us how to engage in saving lives. As clinicians, we can make a difference in our practices, our personal lives, and as community members.
Clinicians need to train up on how to incorporate suicide prevention into their practice. It is important to learn how to have an open conversation and collaborate with patients and their families on a plan of action when needed. Education is available regarding the assessment of potential risk, maintenance of opportunities for open discussion during periods of increased risk, and learning suicide interventions.
PCN: At Psych Congress 2022, you will be leading a session titled, “You’ve Asked Your Patient If They Are Thinking of Suicide and They Said ‘Yes’: What’s Next?” What are 3 main takeaways you hope clinicians get from your session?
Dr Harkavy-Friedman: Three takeaways from my sessions will be:
- Suicide is complex and it is important to assess for both short-term and longer-term risk;
- Just because someone is thinking about suicide, it does not mean that it is an emergency. You can still have a conversation and make a plan;
- As clinicians we have much available to help a person through a period of increased suicide risk—get trained up.
PCN: How has the pandemic affected rates of suicide in the US? What advice do you have for clinicians during this ongoing crisis?
Dr Harkavy-Friedman: From the start of the pandemic, we have elevated the conversation about how to take care of our mental health, which seems to have had an impact on keeping suicide levels down, at least in the short run. So far, suicide rates have actually gone down a little. We have also experienced many social, political, economic, and environmental stressors, and rates of anxiety and depression have increased. As clinicians, it is important to listen to our patients and try not to make assumptions about what they find most stressful and what has been stirred up for them. We also need to take care of ourselves, so we maintain the energy and reserve to be available in our work and avoid becoming depleted.
PCN: Are there any last clinical pearls you would like to share with clinicians in the field treating patients at risk or who are experiencing suicidal ideation?
Dr Harkavy-Friedman: It’s helpful to remember that suicidal crises most often de-escalate with time. Having a place to talk and reducing access to lethal means saves lives. Most people who think about suicide or make a suicide attempt will not die by suicide.
Our role is to listen, assess, and use available interventions. Family and friends can play a role in helping a suicidal person along the way and we are most effective when we are trained and consult with our peers. People who have survived the loss of a loved one to suicide also need us, so ask and listen. Together we can save lives and bring hope to those affected by suicide.
Jill Harkavy-Friedman, PhD is the vice president of research and leads the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention’s (ASFP) research program to advance the field of suicide prevention. She earned her B.A. in psychology at the University of Pennsylvania and her PhD in Clinical Psychology at the University of Florida. She completed her internship at Yale-New Haven Hospital. In 1984, she joined Montefiore Medical Center/Albert Einstein College of Medicine, establishing the Adolescent Depression and Suicide Program. In 1989, she moved to Columbia University/New York State Psychiatric Institute where she is an associate professor in the department of psychiatry. She joined the staff AFSP in 2011. She maintains a clinical practice in Manhattan.
