The Coping Long Term With Active Suicide Program (CLASP): A Multi-Modal Intervention For Suicide Prevention: Clinician Guide
The Coping Long Term With Active Suicide Program (CLASP) comes in one volume – a Clinician Guide only.
The Coping Long Term with Active Suicide Program (CLASP) is an innovative intervention addressing the growing public health crisis of suicide, a leading cause of death both globally and nationally. Designed to reduce suicide risk, CLASP targets key modifiable factors such as hopelessness, poor social support, impaired problem-solving, and treatment non-adherence. Combining evidence-based strategies from family-based interventions, acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), and problem-solving models, CLASP offers a flexible, hybrid approach of in-person sessions and cost-effective telephone follow-ups, making it highly adaptable to diverse clinical settings and effective during care transitions. It is supported by robust empirical evidence, and has demonstrated significant reductions in suicide attempts, improved psychosocial functioning, and enhanced treatment engagement. This guide equips clinicians with step-by-step instructions, customizable strategies, and practical tools to implement CLASP, providing an accessible and sustainable solution to combat suicide. As part of the Treatments That Work™ series, it is an indispensable resource for mental health professionals.
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Chapter 1 – CLASP Introduction, Development, and Empirical Support
Chapter 2 – Theoretical Rationale and Components of CLASP
Chapter 3 – Treatment Description
Chapter 4 – Detailed Session Outline
Chapter 5 – Adaptions for Specific Populations and Settings
Chapter 6 – Requirements and Training of CLASP Advisors
Chapter 7 – The CLASP Intervention: Questions, Issues, and Concluding Comments
Appendices
References
Front Matter
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Introduction & Theoretical Background
Suicide represents one of the most pressing public health crises worldwide, with over 800,000 deaths annually, making it the third leading cause of death among individuals aged 15 to 24 years (WHO, 2019). In the United States alone, suicide accounts for more than 48,000 deaths and 1.4 million attempts annually, representing the 10th leading cause of death across all age groups (Drapeau & McIntosh, 2020). Suicide attempts also drive 40% of psychiatric inpatient admissions and 3% to 8% of all emergency department (ED) visits (McIntosh, 2003).
While numerous interventions have been developed to address suicidal behavior, the field remains under-researched compared to treatments for depression and anxiety. Meta-analyses have identified only 14–16 controlled trials evaluating interventions for suicide, a fraction of the thousands of trials for other mental health conditions (Hofstra et al., 2020; Doupnik et al., 2020). Promising approaches, such as dialectical behavior therapy (DBT)
Therapist Guidance
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References And Further Reading
- Beck, A., Brown, G., Berchick, R., Stewart, B., and Steer, R. 1990. Relationship between hopelessness and ultimate suicide: a replication with psychiatric outpatients. American Journal of Psychiatry, 147 (2): 190–195.
- Bishop, D., Miller, I., Weiner, D., Guilmette, R., Mukand, J., Feldman, E., Keitner, G., and Springate, B. 2014. Family Intervention: Telephone Tracking (FITT): a pilot stroke outcome study. Topics in Stroke Rehabilitation, 21 (Suppl 1): S63–74.
- Brown, G., Ten Have, T., Henriques, G., Xie, S., Hollander, J., and Beck, A. 2005. Cognitive therapy for the prevention of suicide attempts: a randomized controlled trial. JAMA: Journal of the American Medical Association, 294 (5): 563–570.
- Drapeau, C., and McIntosh, J. 2020. U.S.A. Suicide 2018 Official Final Data. Washington, DC: American Association for Suicidology.
- Doupnik, S., Rudd, B., Schmutte, T., Worsely, D., Bowden, C., McCarthy, E., Eggan, E., Bridge, J., and Marcus, S. 2020. Association of suicide prevention interventions with subsequent suicide