How to use non-verbal signs in assessments of suicide risk

Many tools routinely used by health professionals to assess suicide risk rely heavily upon verbal information received from patients during the course of an interview, despite the majority of interpersonal communication in the health care setting being of a non-verbal nature. A verbal statement of suicidal intent may be of little value as the person may be performing according to interviewer expectations and interview context. To facilitate more accurate and meaningful suicide risk assessment and effective clinical judgement, the non-verbal components of patient behaviour must be addressed and more specifically measured.