Evaluation and Treatment of Patients with Suicidal Ideation

Mishara et al. (2016) research is staff-leaning and it is relevant to the upcoming paper due to its emphasis on empathy as a key ingredient in the provision of medical care. To change patients, medical professionals have need to change themselves. They have to endeavor to be good role models to patients who can learn and copy positive behavior from them. Positive behavior is a coping strategy and where learnt it can enable one better cope with life and avoid developing suicidal ideation.

Mokkenstorm, J. K., Eikelenboom, M., Huisman, A., Wiebenga, J., Gilissen, R., Kerkhof, A. J., & Smit, J. H. (2017). Evaluation of the 113Online suicide prevention crisis chat service: outcomes, helper behaviors and comparison to telephone hotlines. Suicide and Life Threatening Behavior, 47(3), 282-296.

Mokkenstorm et al. (2017) extends the theory already introduced by Greidanus and Everall (2010), Mishara et al. (2007), and Mishara et al. (2016) on the benefit that modern technology advances offer with regard to improving health outcomes for patients suffering from suicidality. Mokkenstorm (2017) evaluate the efficacy of digital platforms and more so chats in alleviating the health problems that suicidal patients face. As Mokkenstorm and colleagues established that chats were an effective way of reaching young population with suicidal thoughts.

Digital platforms have revolutionized care delivery and it would only be prudent for hospitals to consider using it to address the challenges of suicidal patients. There is need for hospitals to invest in digital infrastructure going into the future. The population of digital natives is on the rise, and it heralds a society where services, including medical services, will be sought online with a significantly low probability of seeking it offline.

The source is relevant to the upcoming paper as it extends s the role of digital technologies in fighting suicidal thoughts and behavior among patients. Digital technologies continue to connect the world and it is only good if medical professionals, who are the providers of medical care evolve with the changing customer needs. There would be no need of fighting the changes. It is much cheaper and easier to evolve with the needs.

Raubenheimer, L., & Jenkins, L. S. (2015). An evaluation of factors underlying attempts in patients presenting at George Hospital emergency centre. South African family practice, 57(2), 93-99.

According to Raubenheimer & Jenkins (2015), the underling factors for suicidal ideation and behavior are longstanding financial and domestic stress, stressful family relationships, substance abusing, poor life and coping skills, violence, loneliness, mental and physical abuse, anxiety, and depression. As Raubenheimer & Jenkins (2015) show, they are string of factors leading patients to be suicidal and the factors are not limited to depression.

Medical professionals have to have a good command of the risk factors precipitating suicidal behavior before they can help patients. Raubenheimer & Jenkins (2015) provides a comprehensive list of evidence-based risk factors. The factors may broadly be classified into two categories: internal and circumstantial. The internal factors are inherent within the patients' psychology. The factors include loneliness and poor coping skills. Circumstantial factors are in the external environment and include physical abuse and domestic stress.

Raubenheimer & Jenkins (2015) source is relevant to the upcoming paper based on the fact that it offers a list of factors causing development of suicidal behavior. Professionals need to understand the factors before they can devise any intervention plan or tool. That is, with a deep appreciation of the factors, persons seeking to solve the crisis of suicidal behavior better target the causes and obtain the cooperation of the patients. Sometimes the patients are willing to be helped but they only respond when they detect help in the interventions professionals employ.

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