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01-10-2020 | Suicide | Original Paper

Counseling on Access to Lethal Means in the Emergency Department: A Script for Improved Comfort

Authors: Kristen L. Mueller, Danielle Chirumbole, Sonya Naganathan

Published in: Community Mental Health Journal | Issue 7/2020

Abstract

Individuals with suicidal ideation (SI) frequently present to the emergency department (ED). We hypothesized that CALM: Counseling on Access to Lethal Means training improves non-physician provider comfort with delivering an ED-based counseling intervention on lethal means restriction. Ten non-physician intervention counselors who currently provide CALM to ED patients presenting with SI were surveyed for demographics, prior experience caring for patients with SI, prior CALM experience, comfort providing CALM, and which method of training most improved comfort with CALM. Survey response rate was 100%. Following CALM training, 80% of respondents expressed confidence in their ability to counsel patients on safe storage of lethal means, although 50% felt that a script most improved comfort. Most survey respondents reported feeling comfortable counseling suicidal patients on safe storage of lethal means, but that the addition of a script for the counseling session improved comfort more than the online CALM training.

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Title: Counseling on Access to Lethal Means in the Emergency Department: A Script for Improved Comfort
Authors: Kristen L. Mueller
Danielle Chirumbole
Sonya Naganathan
Publication date: 01-10-2020
Publisher: Springer US
Keywords: Suicide
Suicide
Published in: Community Mental Health Journal / Issue 7/2020
Print ISSN: 0010-3853
Electronic ISSN: 1573-2789
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10597-020-00575-x

At a glance: The STEP trials

Springer Medicine

Counseling on Access to Lethal Means in the Emergency Department: A Script for Improved Comfort

Abstract

At a glance: The STEP trials

Springer Medicine

Abstract

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