Assessment and treatment of suicidal clients in a university counseling center

Two studies addressed assessment and treatment issues pertaining to suicidal student-clients, In Study 1, the theoretical construction and psychometric properties of the Suicide Status Form (SSF) were described. Results suggest that SSF items have good convergent validity, strong criterion-prediction validity, and moderate test-retest reliability. In Study 2, the SSF was applied to a sample of suicidal student-clients. Results suggest differences between client and clinician pretreatment SSF ratings. Client (not clinician) pretreatment SSF ratings could be used to correctly classify clients into acute resolver and chronic nonresolver treatment-outcome groups. Whereas all suicidal student-clients globally improved with treatment, chronic nonresolvers remained suicidally preoccupied throughout the academic year. These findings are discussed with regard to training, clinical practice, and future research.