Birthe Loa Knizek

12.06.2018: We must rethink our approach to preventing suicide in mental health care. Ten years after the launch of the National guidelines for suicide prevention in mental health care (1), it transpires that every year approximately 250 people in the specialist health services take their own lives (2). This...

05.02.2018: Current efforts in the mental health service to prevent suicide appear to be more concerned with implementing formal and instrumental procedures than ensuring best possible care for patients. Many people take their own lives or attempt suicide while they are hospitalised in psychiatric wards. Do we...

05.08.2014: One of the most well-established «truths» about suicide is that mental disorders play a significant role in at least 90  % of cases. Therein also lies an assumption about a causal relationship. However, the evidence base for this «truth» is doubtful because it is derived from studies that do not...

01.07.2014: Many authors have recently pointed out problems associated with the current recommendations for a risk-factor-based approach to the assessment of suicide risk and suicide prevention in mental health care. Here we will outline an alternative approach, which may be more appropriate with regard to...