Universal suicide screening in college primary care.

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Mental Health Services
• Healthcare Management

Background:

• College students face significant mental health challenges, including suicide risk.
• Primary care settings are crucial for early identification and intervention.
• Existing suicide screening protocols in college health centers may be insufficient.

Purpose of the Study:

• To implement and evaluate a universal primary care suicide screening program in a college student health center.
• To assess the feasibility, data collection methods, and electronic medical record (EMR) adaptations for the program.
• To examine staff learning outcomes related to suicide screening and intervention.

Main Methods:

• A universal suicide screening program was implemented using the Suicide Behaviors Questionnaire (SBQ-R).
• Electronic medical record (EMR) adaptations included a dedicated template and safety alert system.
• Staff training, referral tracking, and statistical analyses (Chi-square, paired t-tests) were employed.

Main Results:

• 12.8% of students screened positive for suicide risk.
• Significant increases were observed in documentation consistency, EMR safety alert utilization, and mental health referrals.
• Staff demonstrated significant growth in knowledge and comfort with suicide screening and brief intervention.

Conclusions:

• A universal suicide screening program is feasible and effective in college primary care settings.
• The program successfully identified at-risk students and promoted positive clinical practice changes.
• Implementation led to improved identification, referral, and staff preparedness for suicide risk management.