Practice-based insights from specialized clinicians into youth suicide risk assessment and psychotherapy: A qualitative study

Abstract

Objective: The experience of frontline clinicians is an underutilized source of knowledge about improving youth suicide intervention. This qualitative study explored the perspectives of highly experienced, specialized mental health clinicians on the practical application of risk assessment, stabilization, and treatment and their experience of working in this practice area.

Method: Data were collected from seven focus groups with 28 clinicians and analyzed using consensual qualitative research methods.

Results: Four domains emerged, describing 1) youth suicide intervention as relationally focused and attachment-informed, 2) the need for flexible and tailored care balancing individual and family intervention in the context of family complexity and fractured relationships, 3) a nuanced, therapeutic approach to managing the complexity and uncertainty of adolescent suicide risk, and 4) working in youth suicide intervention as emotionally demanding and facilitated or hampered by the organizational and systems context.

Conclusion: The importance of harnessing family systems and attachment-informed approaches to alliance, risk assessment, and treatment was emphasized, along with the parallel need for systemic clinician support and consideration of the potential negative consequences of administrative and risk management protocols.

KEYWORDS:

• applied youth suicide intervention
• qualitative research
• adolescent suicide risk assessment and psychotherapy
• clinician perspectives
• family

Disclosure Statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Supplemental Data

Supplemental data for this article can be accessed here https://do.org/10.1080/10503307.2023.2253360.