Suicide continues to be one of the most important mental health crises of our time, but with compassionate thoughtful treatment, people struggling with suicidal thoughts can find support and healing. In this episode, Menninger Clinic clinicians, Dr. Patricia Daza and Dr. Adrian Lira, explore Collaborative Assessment and Management of Suicidality (CAMS), an evidence-based approach to assessing and addressing suicidal ideation.

With decades of experience in both inpatient and outpatient settings, these experts discuss how CAMS shifts the conversation surrounding suicide by focusing on its four pillars: empathy, honesty, collaboration and suicide-focus. CAMS is not an intervention for depression or any other disorder. It is specifically designed for suicide. 

Instead of just assessing risk or treating suicidal thoughts as a symptom of depression or another condition, this model puts patients in the driver's seat, helping them identify their own reasons for feeling suicidal and uses those insights to create personalized treatment plans. “And really, the data has shown pretty strongly that even one session of CAMS, like in an emergency department with an assessment and discharge plan, can have significant effects,” Dr. Daza explains.

The conversation looks at the complex nature of suicidal thoughts, showing that people can feel both a wish to die and a desire to live at the same time. Our experts share how recognizing these mixed feelings can spark hope and support recovery, while also addressing common myths about suicide, from the misconception that talking about it increases risk to the belief that it is selfish. As Dr. Lira notes, “The risk might already be there. You're just kind of identifying it earlier on, discussing it and hopefully using some interventions to decrease some of that risk.”

For those supporting someone who is struggling, or anyone wanting to understand how suicide treatment can be handled with care, this episode highlights how thoughtful, judgment-free approaches can lead to improvements in outcomes. Join us as we unpack strategies and tools to navigate moments of crisis. 

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