Reasons to Go On

Chapter 6 provides an introduction to the law and the legal complexities arising when working with suicidal individuals, including the Mental Health Act (1983) and the Mental Capacity Act (2005) . There is also an exploration of professional anxieties that may arise when patients and service users express suicidal ideas and intent and how to manage these anxieties. Towards the end of the chapter, a range of tools are presented, which can be used to help inspire hope for the future among patients and service users. These include understanding drawing upon personal values and using goal setting as approaches which can support a treatment plan. The chapter ends with a brief overview of the emergency mental health care available, including crisis resolution and home treatment teams, while hospitalisation is critically discussed as one option with contested value for keeping people safe.