Determining suicide risk in trauma patients using a universal screening program.

Area of Science:

• Trauma Care
• Public Health
• Mental Health Screening

Background:

• Trauma patients face elevated suicide risks, but identifying those at risk during initial care is challenging.
• Existing methods for suicide risk assessment in trauma populations require further evaluation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess a standardized clinical decision support system for suicide risk screening in trauma patients.
• To determine the incidence of positive suicide screenings within this population.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective evaluation of adult trauma patient screenings using the Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale, Clinical Practice Screener, Recent (C-SSRS).
• Screenings were conducted by nursing staff during triage from February 2015 to November 2015.
• Statistical analysis included Student t-test and chi-squared test, with significance set at α = 0.05.

Main Results:

• Nearly all (98%) trauma patients completed suicide risk screening.
• 4% of screened patients (161 of 3,623) had a positive suicide risk screening.
• Positive screens were associated with white race, English as primary language, insurance, and lower-level trauma activation.

Conclusions:

• Universal suicide screening effectively identifies an at-risk subpopulation among trauma patients.
• The implemented screening process aids in early detection of suicide risk in this vulnerable group.