What is the best way to approach a bipolar patient with suicidal ideations?
The most conservative and cautious approach might be to pursue psychiatric hospitalization any time a patient with suicidal ideation is encountered. Hearing about a very recent and serious suicide attempt, current intention, or active suicidal planning definitely requires immediate action to move the patient into a controlled and protective setting, such as a behavioral health inpatient unit. However, when patients talk about thoughts of suicide that are not accompanied by active intent to act or plans to attempt suicide, then hospitalization is not always indicated and may in fact be counterproductive. Hospitalizing a patient who simply reveals that they have thoughts of death or even suicide but no intention of acting on the thoughts can lead to a distrust of professionals in the future. When encountering the patient with suicidal thoughts:1) Ask about the intensity and frequency of the suicidal thinking. Continuous, frightening thoughts of death or suicide should be considered a gre
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- What is the best way to approach a bipolar patient with suicidal ideations?
