14-year-old Tiffany has been receiving weekly outpatient therapy for depression for several months. During the last two visits, the therapist noted that Tiffany, besides appearing more despondent, displayed a few instances of suicidal ideation that previously had not been present. Tiffany denied having any concrete plan, however. The psychologist contacted the mother, who didn’t seem particularly concerned. “Tiffany talks like that all the time,” she said. How should the psychologist proceed with this patient?
Explanation
Answer: C - It would be helpful to involve the mother in Tiffany’s therapy, especially because she seems to be in denial. Since Tiffany is only making vague references to suicide and has not formulated a plan to carry it out, she is probably not at immediate risk, so hospitalization is unnecessary. However, verifying this with a test, besides being anxiety-provoking, probably would not reveal any information the psychologist doesn’t already have. Changing therapists is inadvisable because that would create more stress.
