Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy with People at Risk of Suicide: Working with People at Risk of Suicide

The book is the culmination of an ambitious decade-long effort to develop and refine an effective treatment for the subgroup of depressed patients who are most susceptible to suicidal behavior--those with histories of early maltreatment, an early onset, recurrent episodes, and incomplete recovery. The authors comprehensively present their adaptation of MBCT, provide guidelines for training and supervision, and summarize the results of a recent clinical trial. This is useful and fascinating material for clinicians treating this highly challenging group of patients. --Daniel N. Klein, PhD, Department of Psychology, Stony Brook University

MBCT has established an admirable track record for preventing relapse into depression. But can a program based on mindfulness meditation be safely applied to people suffering from vulnerability to suicide? The authors take us on a scholarly and compassionate journey that lasted over a decade, pointing out the specific adaptations they made to the MBCT program and why. This book represents an important advance for mindfulness-based psychotherapy, an impressive model for how to develop an evidence-based treatment, and a rich resource for anyone who wishes to understand and treat the dilemma of suicide. --Christopher Germer, PhD, private practice, Arlington, Massachusetts

This book examines despair and suicidality with a keen eye. It is a beautiful illustration of how to bring astute observation to an important clinical problem and develop and test a theory-based intervention. The authors present an innovative adaptation of MBCT that helps individuals uncouple suicidality from depressed mood, decrease cognitive reactivity and suicidal thinking, and increase awareness and self-compassion. Importantly, their research demonstrates the particular effectiveness of this approach for the most vulnerable, those who experienced childhood trauma. --Stuart J. Eisendrath, MD, Director, UCSF Depression Center, University of California, San Francisco

Taking up a sensitive and painful topic, this book lays out a comprehensive course for helping suicidal patients using MBCT. Williams et al. explain suicidality through evolutionary logic and grapple directly with the most treacherous aspects of working with this population. The authors argue that MBCT helps to make autobiographical memories more specific, thus addressing a crucial vulnerability factor in suicidality. The volume covers a lot of ground. It provides multiple mindfulness and movement exercises aimed to reduce suicidal thoughts and restore patients on a path of well-being. --Elliot L. Jurist, PhD, Professor of Psychology and Philosophy, The Graduate Center and The City College of New York, The City University of New York

Extremely accessible, informative, and engaging, this outstanding book is a 'must read' for anyone with an interest in understanding suicidal despair and its treatment. It is unusual in a single volume to find such a comprehensive description of the science of suicide risk as well as a detailed overview of how to adapt and implement MBCT. The inclusion of the case studies, such as 'Jane's story,' is really helpful. --Rory C. O'Connor, PhD, Director, Suicidal Behaviour Research Laboratory, University of Glasgow, United Kingdom

The authors describe their work with clients who need the best help possible, but who are often excluded from research trials and treatment programs. They discuss how they sensitively adapted the MBCT program to address such problems as the originally high dropout rate of people at the highest risk of suicide. The reward is clear: those who are most vulnerable do best with this adapted version of MBCT, compared to treatment as usual and psychoeducation. I truly hope this program becomes available to all who need it. --Susan Boegels, PhD, Department of Medical, Clinical, and Experimental Psychology, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Teachers of mindfulness-based interventions, both those who are interested in using MBCT with individuals at risk for suicidal thinking and behavior and those who are less inclined to work with such individuals, will benefit from reading this engaging, informative, and accessible book. For the general teacher, the book offers practical, clearly articulated material to increase competency....For the teacher interested in using this adapted version of MBCT to treat individuals at risk of suicidal depression, the book provides a clear and comprehensive review of the protocol changes that were made to tailor the treatment for this population. Moreover, the detailed description of the authors' theoretically and empirically based conceptualization of suicidal behavior clarifies the purposes of and rationale for the various techniques of adapted MBCT. --PsycCRITIQUES