Effect of a legal prime on clinician's assessment of suicide risk. Issue 1 (2nd January 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Berman, Noah Chase; Sullivan, Alexandra; Wilhelm, Sabine; Cohen, I. Glenn
• Is Part Of: Death studies. Volume 40:Issue 1(2016)
• Page Start: 61
• Page End: 67
• Publication Date: 2016-01-02
• Subjects: Death -- Psychological aspects -- Periodicals; Terminal care -- Periodicals; Death -- Moral and ethical aspects -- Periodicals; 306.9
• DOI: 10.1080/07481187.2015.1068248
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0748-1187

Abstract

ABSTRACT: The present study evaluates how liability influences mental health clinicians' assessment of suicide risk. In this online vignette-based experiment, clinicians ( N = 268) were either primed with a legal standard prior to a case vignette or presented the case vignette alone. Clinicians then rated the patient's likelihood of suicide and need for hospitalization. Results indicated that trainees provided significantly lower ratings of suicide risk following presentation of the legal standard, but this was not associated with hospitalization endorsement. Results have training and legal implications for improving the accuracy of suicide risk assessment in both trainees and licensed professionals.