Standardized screening for suicidal adolescents in primary care

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Primary Care
• Adolescent Mental Health
• Suicide Prevention

Background:

• Suicide is a leading cause of death in adolescents.
• Early identification of suicide risk is crucial for prevention.
• Primary care settings offer a unique opportunity for universal screening.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of brief, standardized suicide risk screening in pediatric primary care.
• To assess the increase in detection and referral rates of suicidal youth.
• To determine the replicability of the screening protocol in different practice settings.

Main Methods:

• Implementation of a brief, standardized suicide risk screening tool with two standardized questions in the electronic medical chart.
• Training for physicians in three primary care practices on suicide risk assessment.
• Data extraction on screening, detection, and referral rates for adolescents aged 12.0 to 17.9 years.

Main Results:

• A 219% increase in inquiries about suicide risk across participating clinics.
• A 392% increase in case detection of suicidal youth, with sustained rates over six months.
• Referral rates for identified suicidal youth increased proportionally to detection rates, demonstrating successful linkage to care.

Conclusions:

• Standardized suicide risk screening in pediatric primary care is effective in identifying at-risk youth.
• The screening protocol successfully increased detection and referral rates, facilitating timely access to behavioral health services.
• This approach holds promise for preventing fatal or serious suicide attempts by enabling early intervention.