Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Using Discourse Analysis to Develop Understanding of Suicide Risk Assessment

  • Chapter
The Palgrave Handbook of Adult Mental Health

  • 1845 Accesses

Abstract

In the United Kingdom (UK), we live in a society in which we are now much more concerned than we once were about the risk of something undesirable — for example, injury, illness, and physical and sexual abuse — happening to someone (e.g. Fowlis et al., Chapter 9, this volume). An idea has also grown that all such risk should, and perhaps can, be prevented. This has had an impact on a wide range of aspects of national life from children’s play to formal health and safety policies (Gill, 2007; Neuberger, 2009; Woodruff, 2005). It was reflected in the emphasis on public safety within government policy such as Modernising Mental Health Services: safe, sound and supportive (Department of Health, 1998). Death is seen as the ultimate undesirable outcome and arguably suicide as its most undesirable cause. So much so that it has had its own policy strand — National Suicide Prevention Strategies that focus on reducing the prevalence of suicide and which stress it to be a concern that straddles organisational respon-sibilities and boundaries (e.g. Department of Health, 2002, 2012, 2014; Scottish Government, 2013).

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 129.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Hardcover Book
USD 169.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  • Bowl, R. (2009). Post-qualifying social work practice in mental health. In P. Higham (Ed.), Post qualifying social work practice (pp. 63–75). London: Sage.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Callaghan, S., Ryan, C., & Kerridge, I. (2013). Risk of suicide is insufficient warrant for coercive treatment for mental illness. International Journal of Law and Psychiatry, 36(5–6), 374–385.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Department of Health. (1998). Modernising mental health services: Safe, sound and supportive. London: Department of Health.

    Google Scholar 

  • —. (2002). National suicide prevention strategy for England. London: Department of Health.

    Google Scholar 

  • —. (2012). Preventing suicide in England. A cross-government outcomes strategy to save lives. London: Department of Health.

    Google Scholar 

  • —. (2014). Preventing suicide in England: One year on first annual report on the cross-government outcomes strategy to save lives. London: Department of Health.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gaston, L., Thompson, L., Gallager, D., Cournoyer, L. G., & Gagnon, R. (1998). Alliance, technique, and their interactions in predicting outcome of behavioural, cognitive and brief dynamic therapy, Psychotherapy Research, 8, 190–209.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gill, T. (2007). No fear: Growing up in a risk averse society. London: Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation.

    Google Scholar 

  • Granello, D. H. (2010). The process of suicide risk assessment: Twelve core principles. Journal of Counseling & Development, 88(3), 363–370.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Guthrie, E., Margison, F., Mackay, H., Chew-Graham, M. C., Moorey, J., & Sibbald, B. (2004). Effectiveness of psychodynamic interpersonal therapy training for primary care counsellors. Psychotherapy Research, 14, 161–175.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hewitt, J. (2013). Why are people with mental illness excluded from the rational suicide debate? International Journal of Law and Psychiatry, 36(5–6), 358–365.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hodges, B. D., Kuper, A., & Reeves, S. (2008). Qualitative research: Discourse analysis. British Medical Journal, 337(7669), 570–572.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hovarth, A. O., & Bedi, R. P. (2002). The alliance. In J. C. Norcross (Ed.), Psychotherapy relationships that work: Therapist contributions and responsiveness to patients (pp. 37–69). New York: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Large, M. M., & Nielssen, O. B. (2011). Probability and loss: Two sides of the risk assessment coin. The Psychiatrist, 35(11), 413–418.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McIntyre, R. S., Soczynska, J. K., Mancini, D., Lam, C., Woldeyohannes, H. O., & Moon, S. (2008). The relationship between childhood abuse and suicidality in adult bipolar disorder. Violence and Victims, 23(3), 361–372.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Madsen, T., Agerbo, E., Mortensen, P. B., & Nordentoft, M. (2012). Predictors of psychiatric inpatient suicide: A national prospective register-based study. The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, 73, 144–151.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Madsen, T., & Nordentoft, M. (2012). Drs Madsen and Nordentoft reply. The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, 73, 1034–1035.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Neuburger, J. (2009). Unkind, risk averse and untrusting: If this is today’s society, can we change it? In Joseph Rowntree Foundation (Eds.), Contemporary Social Evils (pp. 115–124). Bristol: Polity Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Owen, G., Belam, J., Lambert, H., Donovan, J., Rapport, F., & Owens, C. (2012). Interpretation of the communication of suicidal ideation and intent. Social Science & Medicine, 75, 419–428.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pompili, M., Manchinelli, I., & Tatarelli, R. (2002a). Dealing with patient suicide. Minerva Psichiatrica, 43, 181–186.

    Google Scholar 

  • —. (2002b). Beyond the therapeutic challenge: On countertransference problems with the patient at risk of committing suicide. Psichiatrica a Psicoterapia Analitica, 21, 217–228.

    Google Scholar 

  • Reeves, A., & Mintz, R. (2001). The experiences of counsellors who work with suicidal clients: An exploratory study. Counselling and Psychotherapy Research, 2, 37–42.

    Google Scholar 

  • Reeves, A., Bowl, R., Wheeler, S., & Guthrie, E. (2004a). The hardest words: Exploring the dialogue of suicide in the counselling process — a discourse analysis. Counselling and Psychotherapy Research, 4, 62–71.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Reeves, A., Wheeler, S., & Bowl, R. (2004b). Assessing risk: Confrontation or avoidance what is taught on counsellor training courses. British Journal of Guidance and Counselling, 32, 235–247.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Reeves, A. (2010). Counselling suicidal clients. London: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Reeves, A., Wheeler, S., & Shears, J. (2010). Tight ropes and safety nets: Counselling suicidal clients. University of Leicester: Training DVD.

    Google Scholar 

  • Roen, K., Scourfield, J., & McDermott, E. (2008). Making sense of suicide: A discourse analysis of young people’s talk about suicidal subjecthood. Social Science & Medicine, 67, 2089–2097.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Scottish Executive (2006). Changing lives: Report of the 21st century review of social work. Edinburgh: Scottish Executive.

    Google Scholar 

  • Scottish Government (2013). Suicide prevention strategy 2013–2016. Edinburgh: Scottish Government.

    Google Scholar 

  • Shergill, S. S., & Szmukler, G. (1998). How predictable is violence and suicide in community psychiatric practice? Journal of Mental Health, 7(4), 393–401.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Strong, T, Busch, R., & Couture, S. (2008). Conversational evidence in therapeutic dialogue. Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, 34(3), 388–405.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Talvitie, U., & Pyoria, O. (2006). Discourse analytic study of counseling sessions in stroke physiotherapy. Health Communication, 2(2), 187–196.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wand, T. (2012). Investigating the evidence for the effectiveness of risk assessment in mental health care. Issues in Mental Health Nursing, 33(1), 726–734.

    Google Scholar 

  • White, J., & Morris, J. (2010). Precarious spaces: Risk, responsibility and uncertainty in school-based suicide prevention programmes. Social Science & Medicine, 71, 2187–2194.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Woodruff, J. M. (2005). Consequence and likelihood in risk estimation: A matter of balance in UK health and safety risk assessment practice. Safety Science, 43, 345–353.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Recommended reading

  • • Granello, D. H. (2010). The process of suicide risk assessment: Twelve core principles. Journal of Counseling & Development, 88(3), 363–370.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • • Reeves, A., Bowl, R., Wheeler, S., & Guthrie, E. (2004). The hardest words: Exploring the dialogue of suicide in the counselling process — A discourse analysis. Counselling and Psychotherapy Research, 4, 62–71.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • • Roen, K., Scourfield, J., & McDermott, E. (2008). Making sense of suicide: A discourse analysis of young people’s talk about suicidal subjecthood. Social Science & Medicine, 67, 2089–2097.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • • Wand, T. (2012). Investigating the evidence for the effectiveness of risk assessment in mental health care. Issues in Mental Health Nursing, 33(1), 726–773.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Authors
  1. Ric Bowl
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Andrew Reeves
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. University of Leicester, UK

    Michelle O’Reilly (Senior Lecturer) (Senior Lecturer)

  2. Indiana University, USA

    Jessica Nina Lester (Assistant Professor) (Assistant Professor)

Copyright information

© 2016 Ric Bowl and Andrew Reeves

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Bowl, R., Reeves, A. (2016). Using Discourse Analysis to Develop Understanding of Suicide Risk Assessment. In: O’Reilly, M., Lester, J.N. (eds) The Palgrave Handbook of Adult Mental Health. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137496850_31

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation