Table I.

Example of the analysis process leading to the theme “An ambivalent view on risk assessment”

Step 1: Example of one interesting feature in the transcript	I think that they [the guidelines] are very, very focused on risk assessments. And I believe maybe they are, that it’s an important part, but that it is at the cost of so many other things. It’s like that becomes the focus, and I think that the huge focus on these risk assessments means that perhaps you lose sight of the big picture and other aspects that perhaps are just as important when working with suicide prevention in specialist mental healthcare as well
Step 2: Codes from the feature	Focused on risk assessment; important with focus on risk assessment; risk assessment at the sacrifice of other important aspects; other aspects are just as important
Step 3: Developing preliminary themes based on codes belonging together (codes retrieved from several interesting features)	Necessary to put suicide prevention on the agenda (codes: important to address suicidality; need some kind of recipe; risk assessment is made visible; important with focus on risk assessment; guiding the direction) Unsuccessful emphasis on risk assessment (codes: the emphasis is unfortunate; the Board of Health Supervision emphasis reinforced emphasis on risk assessment; consequences for both therapists and patients; risk assessment at the sacrifice of other important aspects; other aspects are just as important)
Step 4: Review theme	Moving back to the data set, we found that when the participants talked about how the guidelines contributed to put suicide prevention on the agenda and the benefits with suicide risk assessment, they also talked about the disadvantages with a narrow emphasis on risk assessment. Consequently, the preliminary themes “Necessary to put suicide prevention on the agenda” and “Unsuccessful emphasis of risk assessment” seemed to be interdependent.
Step 5: Define name and theme	Description: The participants described both benefits and disadvantages with risk assessment. The final theme An ambivalent view on risk assessment captured some of the complexity regarding the discussion about risk assessment.