People treated in hospital for acts of self-harm should be assessed after they are discharged to see if they are at risk of suicide, psychologists have said.
Such patients should receive a follow-up appointment within three days of leaving hospital, they said. This would include being asked if they had suicidal thoughts and plans.
The proposal was one of a series of changes urged by the British Psychological Society (BPS) to reduce suicide rates.
“A compassionate psychosocial assessment plays an important role in establishing a positive therapeutic relationship between a clinician and patient in distress,” the BPS said. “It is important to ask about suicide in a direct but sensitive manner.”
Although some clinicians are concerned about patients exploring suicidal thoughts, there is no evidence
