PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - RI Simon
TI  - The suicide prevention contract: clinical, legal, and risk management issues
DP  - 1999 Sep 01
TA  - Journal of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law Online
PG  - 445--450
VI  - 27
IP  - 3
4099  - http://jaapl.org/content/27/3/445.short
4100  - http://jaapl.org/content/27/3/445.full
SO  - J Am Acad Psychiatry Law1999 Sep 01; 27
AB  - In the managed care era, mental health professionals increasingly rely upon suicide prevention contracts in the management of patients at suicide risk. Although asking a patient if he or she is suicidal and obtaining a written or oral contract against suicide can be useful, these measures by themselves are insufficient. "No harm" contracts cannot take the place of formal suicide risk assessments. Obtaining a suicide prevention contract from the patient tends to be an event whereas suicide risk assessment is a process. The suicide prevention contract is not a legal document that will exculpate the clinician from malpractice liability if the patient commits suicide. The contract against self-harm is only as good as the underlying soundness of the therapeutic alliance. The risks and benefits of suicide prevention contracts must be clearly understood.