Feasibility of a universal suicidality tool for adolescents

The suicide rate among adolescents has been increasing rapidly over the past several years.

Adequate screening for suicide risk in this population, particularly youth of color, is lacking.

The Ask Suicide-Screening Questions (ASQ) tool was implemented at two adolescent-focused health clinics in a large U.S. city.

This project followed the Ottawa Model of Research Use. Participating clinicians were surveyed before and after receiving an educational module on suicide risk screening, the ASQ tool, and clinical pathways. Clinicians were also asked about the feasibility and acceptability of the ASQ tool in their practice. An electronic medical records software was used to gather data on patients newly screened for suicide risk using the ASQ tool.

Among eligible patients, 40.2% were screened using the ASQ tool during the 4-month duration of the project. Most clinicians reported that using the tool was feasible within their practice (66%) and 100% endorsed its acceptability (i.e., reporting that they were comfortable screening for suicide and that the ASQ was easy to use).

The ASQ may be a promising screening tool for clinicians to use to address the mental health needs of at-risk youth. This project supports the universal acceptability and feasibility of its use in inner-city primary care clinics.