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COGNITIVE BEHAVIORAL THERAPY WITH SUICIDAL OLDER ADULTS

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  23 September 2004

David W. Coon ,
Helen M. DeVries  and
Dolores Gallagher-Thompson
David W. Coon
Affiliation:
Institute on Aging Research Center, San Francisco, California, USA
Helen M. DeVries
Affiliation:
Wheaton College, Wheaton, Illinois, USA Reprint requests to Helen M. De Vries, Psychology Department, Wheaton College, 501 College Avenue, Wheaton, IL 60187, USA. E-mail: [email protected].
Dolores Gallagher-Thompson
Affiliation:
Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, California, USA
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Abstract

This article provides a cognitive-behavioral model for psychotherapeutic interventions with suicidal elders. The approach is based on a general model of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) with older adults described in Laidlaw, Thompson, Dick-Siskin and Gallagher-Thompson (2003), with specific application to suicidal older adults (Coon & Gallagher-Thompson, 2001). The appeal of CBT in working with older clients is its practical nature and psychoeducational orientation aimed at empowering elderly clients to utilize the techniques outside the psychotherapeutic relationship, with the goal of helping elders develop skills that lead toward better daily self-management and increased life satisfaction. In addition, CBT can be effective in either an individual or group format (DeVries & Coon, 2002). This article begins with a brief review of the characteristics associated with suicide in this population, then describes a CBT model appropriate for use with elders struggling with affective disorders, suicidal ideation, or suicidal behaviors, and ends with a case example illustrating the model's use with suicidal older adults.

Keywords

Suicideolder adultscognitive-behavior therapyassessmenttreatment
Type
Review Article
Information
Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy , Volume 32 , Issue 4 , October 2004 , pp. 481 - 493
Copyright
2004 British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies

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