When I teach about clinical interviewing, I often recommend this phrase (or some variation) as an entry point to questions about suicidal ideation. This accomplishes a couple of things:
1. Frames the discussion about suicidal ideation as one that is exploring the person’s subjective experience and suffering, avoiding the impression of ticking through the required elements of a clinical interview.
2. It begins a sequential approach where it then feels logical to ask about the extremes of desperation.
3. Signals to the person that you want to hear the full extent of the pain.
The exact words don’t matter, of course, but it is probably helpful for each clinician to develop a few standard ways he or she enters in to the conversation. This could be one of them.
I use something like have you had thoughts about killing yourself. naturally this needs to be after you have established some form or rapport
Perhaps the next 2 or 3 phrases after the initial might be of value i know they would be for me.
very useful blog
Regards
Chris Colyer
Mental Health Nurse
Thanks for your comment and suggstion. Look for a future post with ideas about the next few questions/phrases (once you’ve set a tone of compassion by entering into the conversation from the perspective of understanding and desire to know). Tony