Research on Therapy Effectiveness

To date, only two psychological treatments have been shown to reduce the incidence of suicidal behaviors in multiple treatment studies: dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) and cognitive behavioral therapy for suicide prevention (CBT-SP). 

First, suicide-focused treatments consistently reduce suicide attempts by 50% or more as compared to status quo treatments.

Reducing emotional distress and mental illness is certainly helpful, but that strategy alone may not be enough to stop someone’s forward momentum toward suicide. The ability to quickly identify and utilize self-regulatory strategies is also essential, and these concepts are central to the treatments that are most effective for reducing the occurrence of suicidal behaviors. Considerable research supports the value of these approaches, but mental health professionals rarely use them when working with suicidal or high-risk patients.

Two treatments in particular—dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) and cognitive behavioral therapy for suicide prevention (CBT-SP)1—have demonstrated the ability to reduce the probability of suicidal behaviors in multiple studies conducted by multiple research teams. 

Yet another treatment called the Collaborative Assessment and Management of Suicidality (CAMS) also has repeatedly demonstrated the ability to reduce suicidal thinking faster and to a larger degree than status quo treatments.

Each of these treatments differs from status quo mental health treatments in one important way: They aim to directly reduce suicidal thoughts and behaviors, regardless of a patient’s mental illness, rather than indirectly reducing suicidal thoughts and behaviors by reducing mental illness, the approach taken by status quo treatments. Because DBT, CBT-SP, the crisis response plan (CRP), and CAMS directly focus on suicide risk instead of mental illness, they often are collectively referred to as “suicide-focused treatments.”

Many treatments can reduce the symptoms of mental illness and suicidal thinking, but only a handful of treatments can reduce the probability of suicidal behaviors.

Overall, we found that the wish to live—but not the wish to die—distinguished those individuals who made a suicide attempt during or soon after treatment.