A direct comparison of the American Psychiatric Association (APA) and New Zealand Guidelines Group (NZGG) recommendations for management of individuals with suicidal ideation and/or behavior is provided in the tables, below. The APA guideline contains general and specific recommendations for assessment of the patient, psychiatric management, specific treatment modalities and documentation and risk management issues. In addition, it includes an overview of suicide, its natural history, course and epidemiology; a structured review and synthesis of the evidence underlying the APA recommendations; and a summary of areas for which more research is needed to guide clinical decisions. Only recommendations related to psychiatric management of individuals at risk for suicide are addressed in this synthesis. The NZGG guideline replaces a 1993 guideline developed by the New Zealand Department of Health. Its recommendations are intended for use in emergency department and acute psychiatric service settings and therefore focus primarily on crisis and initial management of patients at risk for suicide. Both guidelines also address risk assessment of individuals with suicidal ideation and/or behavior.