Worker and caller variety in three crisis centers.

Worker and caller behaviors are studied and compared in an available sample of 100 suicidal calls to three crisis intervention centers. Caller-Worker Interaction Program results were compared among the three centers. Worker and caller differences across centers were significant in 32 of 41 categories (p less than .05); using four discriminant functions, 2 of 18 hit percentages exceeded p less than .01. The verbal behaviors of workers and callers at the three centers are substantially different, leading to the conclusion that crisis intervention is dissimilarly practiced between centers but similar within them.