A cognitive-behavioral strategy for preventing suicide
Consider a 3-phase course of CBT to put distance between a patient and repeat suicide attempts, in outpatient and inpatient settings
Post-Admission Cognitive Therapy (PACT)
An inpatient cognitive-behavioral protocol for the prevention of suicide, adapted from the efficacious outpatient model, is being evaluated at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Bethesda, Maryland, and Fort Belvoir Community Hospital, Fort Belvoir, Virginia. The inpatient intervention is called PACT; components are summarized in Table 4.
Bottom Line
Cognitive-behavioral therapy for preventing suicide is an efficacious protocol for reducing the recurrence of suicidal self-directed violence. Post-Admission Cognitive Therapy is the adapted inpatient treatment package. You are encouraged to gain additional training and supervision on the delivery of these interventions to your high-risk suicidal patients.
Related Resources
• Academy of Cognitive Therapy. www.academyofct.org.
• National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. www.suicide preventionlifeline.org.
• Wenzel A, Brown GK, Beck AT. Cognitive therapy for suicidal patients: scientific and clinical applications. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association; 2009.
Disclosures
Support for research on inpatient cognitive-behavioral therapy for the prevention of suicide provided to Principal Investigator, Dr. Ghahramanlou-Holloway by the Department of Defense, Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program (W81XWH-08-2-0172), Military Operational Medicine Research Program (W81XWH-11-2-0106), and the National Alliance for Research on Schizophrenia and Depression (15219).
