Brief psychotherapy of persons who have attempted suicide

A brief psychotherapeutic regime aiming to prevent future attempts has been developed for persons who have attempted suicide. According to the cognitive-behavioral framework, the patients' injurious automatic thoughts and basic delusions make the problem situations subjectively impossible. After an assessment of suicide risk, a safety plan shall be devised. Conceptualization, a description of the actual suicidal crisis, constitutes the cornerstone of therapy. Application of measures supporting survival, adoption of problem-solving skills and a functional contact with a social support network will decrease the likelihood of self-destructive actions. Language: fi