Ultra-brief crisis interpersonal psychotherapy based intervention for suicidal children and adolescents

Abstract

Suicidal behaviors in adolescence are a major public health concern. The dramatic rise in self-injurious behaviors among adolescents has led to an overwhelming increase in the number of those presenting to the emergency rooms. The intervention described below was constructed on the basis of brief and focused interventions that were found to be effective among suicidal adults using an adaptation of interpersonal psychotherapy for adolescents. The intervention has four main objectives: first, a focused treatment for reducing suicide risk; second, a short and immediate response; third, building a treatment plan based on understanding the emotional distress and interpersonal aspects underlying suicidal behavior; and lastly, to generate hope among adolescents and their parents. The intervention includes intensive five weekly sessions, followed by 3 mo of email follow-up.

Keywords: Suicide; Depression; Adolescents; Crisis intervention; Interpersonal psychotherapy

Core Tip: Waiting time for treatment for adolescents who are at risk for suicide in Israel is unreasonably long. The purpose of the interpersonal psychotherapy based intervention for suicidal children and adolescents is to allow more children to receive an acute preventive intervention within a reasonable period of time. The initial phase includes building a safety plan, understanding the emotional and interpersonal aspects underlying the suicide risk and formulating a problem area. The middle sessions include learning and practicing emotional, behavioral and interpersonal skills. The termination session includes building a treatment plan for relapse prevention and providing hope.