The Practice of Suicide Assessment and Management by Marriage and Family Therapists

Abstract

Over 90% of mental health providers encounter suicidal clients. However, the majority of marriage and family therapists (MFTs) are not exposed to suicide-specific trainings within their clinical coursework. Due to the lack of consistent training protocols for suicide assessment and management among MFTs, this qualitative study identified common MFT responses to suicidal clients, including assessment of risk severity and intervention modalities. Responses were then compared to best practices for suicidal clients. Participants inconsistently adhered to best practices identified in the larger field of mental health, revealing the need for increased MFT training on suicide to ensure appropriate and effective care.