Craig J. Bryan – författare

An examination of how suicide prevention efforts largely fail due to the mistaken assumption that greater mental health awareness is the key to saving lives. Over the last two decades, the US suicide rate has steadily grown despite extensive awareness campaigns, wide implementation of suicide prevention programs and initiatives, and increased mental health advocacy. To the confusion and frustration of researchers, healthcare providers, and many others, these efforts have largely failed to reverse the trend. Why do suicide rates continue to climb despite our best efforts? Why aren''t we better at this? What are we doing wrong? Rethinking Suicide is a critical examination of what we think we know about suicide, with particular focus on the assumed role of mental illness. Craig J. Bryan, a leading expert on suicide prevention, argues that most prevention efforts have failed because they disproportionately emphasize mental health-focused solutions such as access to treatment and crisis services. Instead of classifying suicide as a mental health issue, careful analysis of research findings suggest it should instead be seen as a highly complex problem with many risk factors - from personal decision-making styles, to the availability of lethal means, to financial uncertainty. As such suicide rates will not be curtailed by conventional solution-oriented thinking; rather, we need process-based thinking that may, in some cases, defy or contradict many of our long-held assumptions about suicide. Rethinking Suicide interweaves the author''s firsthand experiences with explanations of scientific findings to reveal the limitations of widely-used practices and to introduce new perspectives that may trigger a paradigm shift in how we understand and prevent suicide.

An examination of how suicide prevention efforts largely fail due to the mistaken assumption that greater mental health awareness is the key to saving lives. Over the last two decades, the US suicide rate has steadily grown despite extensive awareness campaigns, wide implementation of suicide prevention programs and initiatives, and increased mental health advocacy. To the confusion and frustration of researchers, healthcare providers, and many others, these efforts have largely failed to reverse the trend. Why do suicide rates continue to climb despite our best efforts? Why aren't we better at this? What are we doing wrong? Rethinking Suicide is a critical examination of what we think we know about suicide, with particular focus on the assumed role of mental illness. Craig J. Bryan, a leading expert on suicide prevention, argues that most prevention efforts have failed because they disproportionately emphasize mental health-focused solutions such as access to treatment and crisis services. Instead of classifying suicide as a mental health issue, careful analysis of research findings suggest it should instead be seen as a highly complex problem with many risk factors - from personal decision-making styles, to the availability of lethal means, to financial uncertainty. As such suicide rates will not be curtailed by conventional solution-oriented thinking; rather, we need process-based thinking that may, in some cases, defy or contradict many of our long-held assumptions about suicide. Rethinking Suicide interweaves the author's firsthand experiences with explanations of scientific findings to reveal the limitations of widely-used practices and to introduce new perspectives that may trigger a paradigm shift in how we understand and prevent suicide.

An examination of how suicide prevention efforts largely fail due to the mistaken assumption that greater mental health awareness is the key to saving lives. Over the last two decades, the US suicide rate has steadily grown despite extensive awareness campaigns, wide implementation of suicide prevention programs and initiatives, and increased mental health advocacy. To the confusion and frustration of researchers, healthcare providers, and many others, these efforts have largely failed to reverse the trend. Why do suicide rates continue to climb despite our best efforts? Why aren''t we better at this? What are we doing wrong? Rethinking Suicide is a critical examination of what we think we know about suicide, with particular focus on the assumed role of mental illness. Craig J. Bryan, a leading expert on suicide prevention, argues that most prevention efforts have failed because they disproportionately emphasize mental health-focused solutions such as access to treatment and crisis services. Instead of classifying suicide as a mental health issue, careful analysis of research findings suggest it should instead be seen as a highly complex problem with many risk factors - from personal decision-making styles, to the availability of lethal means, to financial uncertainty. As such suicide rates will not be curtailed by conventional solution-oriented thinking; rather, we need process-based thinking that may, in some cases, defy or contradict many of our long-held assumptions about suicide. Rethinking Suicide interweaves the author''s firsthand experiences with explanations of scientific findings to reveal the limitations of widely-used practices and to introduce new perspectives that may trigger a paradigm shift in how we understand and prevent suicide.

The United States is in the midst of the largest military demobilization in its history. This is leading to an increase in the demand for mental health clinicians who can provide services to hundreds of thousands of military veterans and members of the military. Nearly two million Americans have been deployed to the wars in the Middle East, and thousands of them have been deeply affected, either psychologically, physically, or both. Projections suggest that 300,000 are returning with symptoms of PTSD or major Depression; 320,000 have been exposed to probable Traumatic Brain Injuries; and hundreds of thousands are dealing with psychological effects of physical injuries. Other veterans and members of the military without injuries will seek treatment to help them with the psychological impact of serving in the military, being deployed, or transitioning and reintegrating back into the civilian world. As an example, hundreds of thousands of service members are also leaving the armed forces earlier than they anticipated and will need to quickly adjust to life as civilians after assuming that they would have many more years in the military. Many will be leaving the military because of demobilizations and downsizing due to budget cuts. Current proposed cuts will shrink the military force to the same size it was in 1940. The Pew Center reports that 44% of veterans from the current wars are describing their readjustment to civilian life as "e;difficult,"e; and many of them are and will be turning to civilian mental health and primary care clinicians for assistance. The Handbook of Psychosocial Interventions for Veterans and Service Members is a "e;one stop"e; handbook for non-military clinicians working with service members, veterans, and their families. It brings together experts from the Department of Defense, the Department of Veterans Affairs, veteran service organizations, and academia to create the first comprehensive guidebook for civilian clinicians. In addition to covering psychiatric disorders such as depression, anxiety, and PTSD, this book also offers information about psychosocial topics that impact military personnel and their loved ones and can become part of treatment (e.g., employment or education options, financial matters, and parenting concerns), providing the most recent and cutting-edge research on the topics. Chapters are concise and practical, delivering the key information necessary to orient clinicians to the special needs of veterans and their families. The Handbook of Psychosocial Interventions for Veterans and Service Members is an essential resource for private practice mental health clinicians and primary care physicians, as well as a useful adjunct for VA and DOD psychologists and staff.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Preventing Suicide Attempts consolidates the accumulated knowledge and efforts of leading suicide researchers, and describes how a common, cognitive behavioral model of suicide has resulted in 50% or greater reductions in suicide attempts across clinical settings. Simple and straightforward descriptions of these techniques are provided, along with clear explanations of the interventions’ rationale and scientific support. Critically, specific adaptations of these interventions designed to meet the demands and needs of diverse settings and populations are explained. The result is a practical, clinician-friendly, how-to guide that demonstrates how to effectively reduce the risk for suicide attempts in any setting.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Preventing Suicide Attempts consolidates the accumulated knowledge and efforts of leading suicide researchers, and describes how a common, cognitive behavioral model of suicide has resulted in 50% or greater reductions in suicide attempts across clinical settings. Simple and straightforward descriptions of these techniques are provided, along with clear explanations of the interventions’ rationale and scientific support. Critically, specific adaptations of these interventions designed to meet the demands and needs of diverse settings and populations are explained. The result is a practical, clinician-friendly, how-to guide that demonstrates how to effectively reduce the risk for suicide attempts in any setting.

An innovative treatment approach with a strong empirical evidence base, brief cognitive-behavioral therapy for suicide prevention (BCBT) is presented in step-by-step detail in this authoritative manual. Leading treatment developers show how to establish a strong collaborative relationship with a suicidal patient, assess risk, and immediately work to establish safety. Proven interventions are described for building emotion regulation and crisis management skills and dismantling the patient's suicidal belief system. The book includes case examples, sample dialogues, and 17 reproducible handouts, forms, scripts, and other clinical tools. The large-size format facilitates photocopying; purchasers also get access to a webpage where they can download and print the reproducible materials.

An innovative treatment approach with a strong empirical evidence base, brief cognitive-behavioral therapy for suicide prevention (BCBT) is presented in step-by-step detail in this authoritative manual. Leading treatment developers show how to establish a strong collaborative relationship with a suicidal patient, assess risk, and immediately work to establish safety. Proven interventions are described for building emotion regulation and crisis management skills and dismantling the patient's suicidal belief system. The book includes case examples, sample dialogues, and 17 reproducible handouts, forms, scripts, and other clinical tools. The large-size format facilitates photocopying; purchasers also get access to a webpage where they can download and print the reproducible materials.