Hey Dr. Reid,

This is really interesting - are the studies you have read easily accessible for lay people? I would love to see one or both of them....

Whats interesting for me is that you and I speak from the exact opposite side.

You speak from the side where something has gone wrong.

On the crisis line I usually see the situation before it goes that wrong.

(btw, while i am no longer on the suicide hotline, I am currently on a rape crisis hotline so I am not out of touch with the potential callers)

Which means we have very, very different perspectives when we look at the issue.

Your point is well taken that relying on contracts exclusively to access safety is too limited. I can easily follow that, on the other side due to my experience with suicidal callers, I still think that contracts has a definite place in suicide intervention.

Few people that reach out for help when suicidal are at the last stages of suicidal ideation, where the decision to kill oneself invokes a sense of calm. Most suicidal callers are not there yet, and in those cases, taking the time to talk to them, connect with them, keep in touch with them, and contract for safety can have a big impact.

Da Friendly Puter Tech