Background: The Attempted Suicide Brief Intervention Program (ASSIP) provides an effective and cost-effective treatment option for people who have attempted suicide. Studies suggest that longer treatment latency is associated with poorer treatment response, more severe symptomatology, and more suicide attempts. This study examined the influence of treatment latency (time between suicide attempt and initiation of therapy) on the number of suicide attempts over the long-term course of ASSIP. Further, it examined the influence of treatment relationship on the extent of suicidal ideation. Methods: Survival and regression analyses were performed on 60 participants who had recently attempted suicide and received ASSIP at an outpatient psychiatric clinic. 60% were women and 40% were men. Age varied from 14 to 77?years (M?=?36.52, SD = 14.25). 67% of subjects had an affective disorder; 42% had a stress, neurotic, or somatoxic disorder; 17% had a psychotropic substance disorder; 13% had a personality disorder and 10% had other diagnosed disorders. Results: The results showed no significant association between treatment outcome in ASSIP and treatment latency (HR = 1.06; 95% CI: 0.92- 1.21, p = .44). Treatment relationship significantly influenced suicidal ideation at time t4 (B = -.35, t(55) = -3.21, p = .002). Treatment latency was not significantly associated with suicidal ideation (B = .02, t(55) = 0.87, p = .39). Conclusions: No relationship was found between treatment latency and treatment outcome could be found, suggesting that ASSIP can be implemented at any time after the last suicide attempt. The treatment relationship on the other hand seems to be related to reduction of suicidality in ASSIP.