Suicide Risk Assessment and Response: Effective Training for Mental Health Clinicians

2010 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alan Berman ◽  
Robert Canning
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Risk Assessment ◽  
Suicide Risk ◽  
Mental Health Clinicians ◽  
Suicide Risk Assessment ◽  
Effective Training

Suicide risk assessment in a large public mental health service: do suicide risk classifications identify those at risk?

2021 ◽  
pp. 103985622098403
Author(s):  
Marianne Wyder ◽  
Manaan Kar Ray ◽  
Samara Russell ◽  
Kieran Kinsella ◽  
David Crompton ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Risk Factors ◽  
Risk Assessment ◽  
High Risk ◽  
Suicide Risk ◽  
Public Mental Health ◽  
Assessment Tools ◽  
Suicide Risk Assessment ◽  
Public Mental Health Service ◽  
Risk Assessment Tools

Introduction: Risk assessment tools are routinely used to identify patients at high risk. There is increasing evidence that these tools may not be sufficiently accurate to determine the risk of suicide of people, particularly those being treated in community mental health settings. Methods: An outcome analysis for case serials of people who died by suicide between January 2014 and December 2016 and had contact with a public mental health service within 31 days prior to their death. Results: Of the 68 people who had contact, 70.5% had a formal risk assessment. Seventy-five per cent were classified as low risk of suicide. None were identified as being at high risk. While individual risk factors were identified, these did not allow to differentiate between patients classified as low or medium. Discussion: Risk categorisation contributes little to patient safety. Given the dynamic nature of suicide risk, a risk assessment should focus on modifiable risk factors and safety planning rather than risk prediction. Conclusion: The prediction value of suicide risk assessment tools is limited. The risk classifications of high, medium or low could become the basis of denying necessary treatment to many and delivering unnecessary treatment to some and should not be used for care allocation.

How do mental health professionals deal with uncertainty in suicide risk assessment?

2011 ◽  
Vol 26 (S2) ◽  
pp. 1628-1628
Author(s):  
K. Manley ◽  
J. Beezhold
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Risk Assessment ◽  
Mental Health Professionals ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Suicide Risk ◽  
List Type ◽  
Suicide Risk Assessment ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Clinical Scenarios ◽  
Image Position

IntroductionSuicide risk-assessment forms a significant part of the workload of mental health professionals (MHPs). There is much research regarding efficacy of different methods/scales of suicide risk-assessment, and effects of formal training on risk-assessment. To date, there is little investigation into how approach to risk-assessment varies amongst professionals on an individual level, or how MHPs react when confronted by lack of information.ObjectiveThis study evaluated how MHPs respond to uncertainty when assessing suicide risk.Methods720 MHPs were given 10 clinical scenarios and asked to assess suicide risk in each case. The scenarios were a mixture of high, medium and low risk cases. In addition, there were scenarios where information provided was incomplete or ambiguous. Subjects graded suicide risk-severity from 1–10 (1 = low, 10 = high).ResultsThe simple scenarios produced a predictable consensus of opinion amongst MHPs. The ambiguous scenario produced three distinct response peaks (Fig. 1) at low, medium, and high risk.Fig. 1[Fig 1]ConclusionsAmbiguous suicide risk separates MHPs into three responder groups:1.‘don’t know’2.more cautious, assumes higher risk3.less cautious, assumes lower risk.This has implications for suicide risk training. Further research is required to fully understand why individuals respond in different ways to suicide risk scenarios.

Executive Functioning as a Component of Suicide Risk Assessment: Clarifying its Role in Standard Clinical Applications

2012 ◽  
Vol 34 (2) ◽  
pp. 110-120 ◽  
Author(s):  
Beeta Homaifar ◽  
Nazanin Bahraini ◽  
Morton Silverman ◽  
Lisa Brenner
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Risk Assessment ◽  
Executive Functioning ◽  
Mental Health Professionals ◽  
Suicide Risk ◽  
Brain Injuries ◽  
Executive Dysfunction ◽  
Suicide Risk Assessment ◽  
Neuropsychological Measures ◽  
And Coping

Clinically, because executive dysfunction (e.g., impulsivity, insight, thinking process) is often thought of in the context of those with traumatic brain injuries and other neurologic conditions, its formal assessment has historically been seen as the domain of those who assess and treat patients with neurologic disease. However, mental health counselors (MHCs) could benefit from learning how executive functioning relates to suicide risk assessment and coping strategies. Assessment of executive functions can be incorporated in routine clinical practice without the need for formal neuropsychological measures or other time-consuming procedures. In fact, during standard clinical assessment, mental health professionals often informally assess components of executive functioning such as impulsivity, insight, and thinking processes. This article highlights aspects of executive functioning with which MHCs may already be familiar and demonstrates their clinical utility in enhancing assessment and management of suicide-related thoughts and behaviors.

Mental Health Professionals' Suicide Risk Assessment and Management Practices

Crisis ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 39 (1) ◽  
pp. 55-64 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jared F. Roush ◽  
Sarah L. Brown ◽  
Danielle R. Jahn ◽  
Sean M. Mitchell ◽  
Nathanael J. Taylor ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Risk Assessment ◽  
Mental Health Professionals ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Suicide Risk ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
Suicide Risk Assessment ◽  
Risk Assessment And Management

Abstract. Background: Approximately 20% of suicide decedents have had contact with a mental health professional within 1 month prior to their death, and the majority of mental health professionals have treated suicidal individuals. Despite limited evidence-based training, mental health professionals make important clinical decisions related to suicide risk assessment and management. Aims: The current study aimed to determine the frequency of suicide risk assessment and management practices and the association between fear of suicide-related outcomes or comfort working with suicidal individuals and adequacy of suicide risk management decisions among mental health professionals. Method: Mental health professionals completed self-report assessments of fear, comfort, and suicide risk assessment and management practices. Results: Approximately one third of mental health professionals did not ask every patient about current or previous suicidal thoughts or behaviors. Further, comfort, but not fear, was positively associated with greater odds of conducting evidence-based suicide risk assessments at first appointments and adequacy of suicide risk management practices with patients reporting suicide ideation and a recent suicide attempt. Limitations: The study utilized a cross-sectional design and self-report questionnaires. Conclusion: Although the majority of mental health professionals report using evidenced-based practices, there appears to be variability in utilization of evidence-based practices.

scholarly journals School-Based Suicide Risk Assessment Using eHealth for Youth: Systematic Scoping Review (Preprint)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Deinera Exner-Cortens ◽  
Elizabeth Baker ◽  
Shawna Gray ◽  
Marisa Van Bavel ◽  
Rocio Ramirez Rivera ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Risk Assessment ◽  
Suicide Risk ◽  
School Mental Health ◽  
Safety Planning ◽  
Health Providers ◽  
Youth Engagement ◽  
Suicide Risk Assessment ◽  
Gray Literature ◽  
School Based

BACKGROUND Suicide is a leading cause of death among youth and a prominent concern for school mental health providers. Indeed, schools play a key role in suicide prevention, including participating in risk assessments with students expressing suicidal ideation. In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, many schools now need to offer mental health services, including suicide risk assessment, via eHealth platforms. Post pandemic, the use of eHealth risk assessments will support more accessible services for youth living in rural and remote areas. However, as the remote environment is a new context for many schools, guidance is needed on best practices for eHealth suicide risk assessment among youth. OBJECTIVE This study aims to conduct a rapid, systematic scoping review to explore promising practices for conducting school-based suicide risk assessment among youth via eHealth (ie, information technologies that allow for remote communication). METHODS This review included peer-reviewed articles and gray literature published in English between 2000 and 2020. Although we did not find studies that specifically explored promising practices for school-based suicide risk assessment among youth via eHealth platforms, we found 12 peer-reviewed articles and 23 gray literature documents that contained relevant information addressing our broader study purpose; thus, these 35 sources were included in this review. RESULTS We identified five key recommendation themes for school-based suicide risk assessment among youth via eHealth platforms in the 12 peer-reviewed studies. These included accessibility, consent procedures, session logistics, safety planning, and internet privacy. Specific recommendation themes from the 23 gray literature documents substantially overlapped with and enhanced three of the themes identified in the peer-reviewed literature—consent procedures, session logistics, and safety planning. In addition, based on findings from the gray literature, we expanded the <i>accessibility</i> theme to a broader theme termed <i>youth engagement</i>, which included information on accessibility and building rapport, establishing a therapeutic space, and helping youth prepare for remote sessions. Finally, a new theme was identified in the gray literature findings, specifically concerning school mental health professional boundaries. A second key difference between the gray and peer-reviewed literature was the former’s focus on issues of equity and access and how technology can reinforce existing inequalities. CONCLUSIONS For school mental health providers in need of guidance, we believe that these six recommendation themes (ie, youth engagement, school mental health professional boundaries, consent procedures, session logistics, safety planning, and internet privacy) represent the most promising directions for school-based suicide risk assessment among youth using eHealth tools. However, suicide risk assessment among youth via eHealth platforms in school settings represents a critical research gap. On the basis of the findings of this review, we provide specific recommendations for future research, including the need to focus on the needs of diverse youth. CLINICALTRIAL

scholarly journals Suicide risk assessment in UK mental health services: a national mixed-methods study

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (12) ◽  
pp. 1046-1053 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jane Graney ◽  
Isabelle M Hunt ◽  
Leah Quinlivan ◽  
Cathryn Rodway ◽  
Pauline Turnbull ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Risk Assessment ◽  
Mixed Methods ◽  
Mental Health Services ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Suicide Risk ◽  
Mixed Methods Study ◽  
Suicide Risk Assessment
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