What Causes a Crisis?
A mental health crisis can occur for many different reasons.
Someone who experiencessuicidal ideationcan experience a crisis if they feel that they might act on these thoughts.
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Crisis intervention addresses any specific triggers for these thoughts and manages the individuals safety.
Many crisis resources utilize a six-step model developed by Dr. Richard James.
Getting ongoing support in place can prevent future crises.
It can assess risk level and connect clients to services that can help them in the moment.
Research has shown consistent outcomes for both phone and text-based hotlines.
Potential Risks of Crisis Intervention
Let’s take a look at some potential risks of crisis intervention.
If a clientsonly accessible option is crisis support, they are unlikely to see improvement in their symptoms.
Crisis intervention is a tool, but no one tool can fix everything.
People need access to a variety of resources to make it get the support that they need.
Responders do not need an advanced degree or licensure so that provide crisis intervention.
This makes crisis intervention accessible, as responders can be trained quickly.
This occurs most frequently with suicidal clients and can lead to the client not getting appropriate follow-up care.
This can create an added challenge for clients who havedifficulty trustingnew providers.
A Word From Verywell
Severalqualified crisis resourcesexist if you are experiencing a mental health crisis.
Asking for help can be difficult, especially if you are in crisis, but support is available.
If you are having suicidal thoughts, contact theNational Suicide Prevention Lifelineat988for support and assistance from a trained counselor.
If you or a loved one are in immediate danger, call 911.
For more mental health resources, see ourNational Helpline Database.
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