TY  - JOUR
PY  - 2023//
TI  - When, if ever, should care providers neither contact families of suicidal patients to gain more information nor hospitalize patients?
JO  - Journal of clinical ethics
A1  - Howe, Edmund G.
SP  - 117
EP  - 122
VL  - 34
IS  - 2
N2  - In this piece I discuss when care providers should not contact suicidal patients' families to get collateral information from them or hospitalize patients over their objections. I suggest that when these patients are chronically suicidal, overriding these wants may be best in the short run but increase their net risk in the longer run. I also discuss in this regard how contacted families may become overprotective and how hospitalization can be traumatic. I present an alternative approach that can increase these patients' safety over the longer run and relate three practical approaches care providers may find useful: explaining their decisions to patients, monitoring their own fear, and instilling hope.<p />  <p>Language: en</p>
LA  - en
SN  - 1046-7890
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1086/724281
ID  - ref1
ER  -