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Use of No-Suicide Contracts by Psychiatrists in Minnesota

OBJECTIVE: The no-suicide contract is widely recommended as an important intervention in the care of suicidal patients; however, there are no data demonstrating its effectiveness or its acceptance in the professional community. This study examines the use of no-suicide contracts by psychiatrists in Minnesota. METHOD: A postcard questionnaire was mailed to 514 psychiatrists in Minnesota inquiring about their practices and experiences with no-suicide contracts. RESULTS: There were 267 responses, yielding a response rate of 52%. No-suicide contracts were used by 152 (57%) of the respondents. Within this group, 62 (41%) of the psychiatrists had patients who committed suicide or made serious attempts after entering into a no-suicide contract. CONCLUSIONS: Among the respondents to the questionnaire, slightly more than half used no-suicide contracts, indicating that such contracts are not universally accepted as standard practice among these psychiatrists. More data are needed to determine the effectiveness of no-suicide contracts in preventing suicide.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				K. A. Garvey, J. V. Penn, A. L. Campbell, C. Esposito-Smythers, and A. Spirito Contracting for Safety With Patients: Clinical Practice and Forensic Implications J Am Acad Psychiatry Law, September 1, 2009; 37(3): 363 - 370. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				T. L Farrow and A. J O'Brien 'No-suicide Contracts' and Informed Consent: an analysis of ethical issues Nursing Ethics, March 1, 2003; 10(2): 199 - 207. [Abstract] [PDF]

				How Effective are Suicide Contracts in Clinical Practice? Journal Watch Psychiatry, November 14, 2000; 2000(1114): 1 - 1. [Full Text]

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