Counseling Shown to Reduce Repeat Attempts at Suicide
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A handful of counseling sessions for people who tried to kill themselves significantly reduced the chances they would make another attempt, the first time talk therapy has been proved effective for suicide prevention.
The findings released yesterday in the journal Lancet Psychiatry demonstrate the benefits of therapy for those at high risk of attempting suicide again, said Annette Erlangsen, an associate professor in mental health at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Many suicide survivors who don’t require hospitalization for a psychiatric illness are simply patched up and sent home without counseling referrals, she said.