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by EdwardDiego 1120 days ago
So, if they didn't intervene, and the caller did indeed commit suicide the next day, you're all good with that lack of intervention?
2 comments

On the other hand, there are people who need this service are not using it because of fear of getting hospitalised involuntarily.
Yeah, their fear is largely unfounded. Sadly, we've swung too far to the other extreme on involuntary treatment.
"Largely" unfounded doesn't make it unfounded. It's founded, and relevant, and either will be addressed by people acknowledging its genuine existential nature as a threat or, following your baseless dismissal, people will die.
Yes. IMO, we have to be willing to accept errors of both types (under-intervention and over-intervention) in order to design a system that is the most helpful overall.

Some people who call a suicide prevention hotline will go on to kill themself. That by itself is not evidence of a flaw in the hotline or its policies.