Elaborates on standards of care for assessment, management, and treatment of hospitalized suicidal patients. Attempts to synthesize concepts of minimal standard of care with clinical risk management and clinical judgment. Points out areas of overlap and shows where optimum care diverges from legal standards of care. Tables differentiate…

Suicide by self-poisoning is a prevalent cause of death worldwide. A substantial proportion of individuals who poison themselves come into contact with medical services before they die. Our focus in the current study was the medical management of drug self-poisoning in industrialized countries and its possible contribution to suicide prevention.…

Several agencies have emphasized the importance of establishing clear protocols or procedures to address the needs of youths who are identified as suicidal through suicide prevention programs or in emergency department settings. What constitutes optimal guidelines for developing and implementing such protocols, however, is unclear. At the request…