Risk Factors for Suicide That You Should Know

I have created a short video summary of some of the risk factors for suicide you should be aware of in clinical practice. When starting out as a provisional psychologist, clinical registrar, or a newly registered psychologist, you may be unaware of some of these factors that elevate someone's risk for suicide. Suicide risk assessment, safety planning, and interventions are an essential skill for all mental health professionals because it saves lives. Suicide is the leading cause of death for Australians between the ages of 15-49. I am a strong advocate for appropriate training in this area to ensure people in crisis are adequately identified and assisted.

If you are interested in upskilling in this area, I have the recording of a sold out workshop I hosted in 2022: "Treating the Suicidal Client- Beyond The Safety Plan". It covers risk assessment, safety planning, as well as a 10 session structured approach to treating suicidality. The treatment is based off the protocol as developed and taught by Dr Aaron T. Beck (founding father of CBT), which I trained in at the Beck Institute in Philadelphia many years ago. You can find that workshop here.