Suicide ideation at its worst point: A predictor of eventual suicide in psychiatric outpatients

Author(s): Brown, G. K., Steer, R. A., Dahlsgaard, K. K., Grisham, J. R.

Journal/Book: Suicide Life Threaten Behav. 1999; 29: 72 Spring Street, New York, NY 10012, USA. Guilford Publications Inc. 1-9.

Abstract: Scales for measuring current suicide ideation (SSI-C), suicide ideation at its worst point in the patient's life (SSI-W), and hopelessness (BHS) were administered to 3,701 outpatients seeking psychiatric treatment. Thirty patients from this sample eventually committed suicide, within a mean of 4 years from the initial assessment. Based on cut-off scores derived from receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analyses, the SSI-W had an odds ratio of 13.84 for predicting suicide, whereas the SSI-C and the BHS had odds ratios of 5.42 and 6.43, respectively. The assessment of suicide ideation at its worst point identifies a subgroup of patients at relatively high risk for eventual suicide. Robust interventions and periodic monitoring for suicide ideation and hopelessness are recommended to reduce long-term suicide risk.

Note: Article Beck AT, Univ Penn, Dept Psychiat, Ctr Sci, Room 754, 3600 Market St, Philadelphia,PA 19104 USA

Keyword(s): AFFECTIVE-DISORDERS; FOLLOW-UP; HOPELESSNESS; SENSITIVITY; SCALE; RISK

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