Safety Planning Intervention: A Brief Intervention to Mitigate Suicide Risk

Abstract The usual care for suicidal patients who are seen in the emergency department (ED) and other emergency settings is to assess level of risk and refer to the appropriate level of care. Brief psychosocial interventions such as those administered to promote lower alcohol intake or to reduce domestic violence in the ED are not typically employed for suicidal individuals to reduce their risk. Given that suicidal patients who are seen in the ED do not consistently follow up with recommended outpatient mental health treatment, brief ED interventions to reduce suicide risk may be especially useful. We describe an innovative and brief intervention, the Safety Planning Intervention (SPI), identified as a best practice by the Suicide Prevention Resource Center/American Foundation for Suicide Prevention Best Practices Registry for Suicide Prevention ( www.sprc.org ), which can be administered as a stand-alone intervention. The SPI consists of a written, prioritized list of coping strategies and sources of support that patients can use to alleviate a suicidal crisis. The basic components of the SPI include (a) recognizing warning signs of an impending suicidal crisis; (b) employing internal coping strategies; (c) utilizing social contacts and social settings as a means of distraction from suicidal thoughts; (d) utilizing family members or friends to help resolve the crisis; (e) contacting mental health professionals or agencies; and (f) restricting access to lethal means. A detailed description of SPI is described and a case example is provided to illustrate how the SPI may be implemented.