During an interview, you have the impression that a patient may be considering suicide. Which action is essential?
a. Ask whether the patient has considered self-harm.
b. Avoid directly confronting the patient re-garding your impression.
c. Ask whether the patient would like to visit a psychiatrist.
d. Record the impression in the patient's chart and refer the patient for hospitaliza-tion.
A
If you think the patient may be considering suicide, he or she probably is. Mentioning it gives permission to talk about it. Do not avoid directly confronting the patient regarding your impres-sion. It is important to confront the suicidal thoughts. Asking whether the patient would like to visit a psychiatrist does not allow the patient to talk about the suicidal thoughts before you de-termine that she or he needs a specialist level of care. Recording the impression in the patient's chart and referring the patient for hospitalization does not collaborate with the patient and does not give him or her permission to talk about the thoughts of self-harm.
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