Universal Suicide Screening in the Hospital Setting: Risk and Implications

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Mental Health Services
• Healthcare Quality Improvement

Background:

• Suicide risk screening is essential for hospital safety and patient care.
• The Ask Suicide-Screening Questions (ASQ) is a validated tool for assessing suicide risk in pediatric and adult patients.
• Identifying prevalence and demographic factors of suicide risk is key for targeted interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine suicide risk prevalence in pediatric and adult patients at an academic medical center.
• To analyze demographic factors associated with suicide risk screening outcomes.
• To compare suicide risk rates across different medical diagnoses.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective cross-sectional study design.
• Administration of the Ask Suicide-Screening Questions (ASQ) to patients aged 12 and older.
• Statistical analyses including partial proportional odds modeling and chi-square tests.

Main Results:

• 5% of pediatric patients (12-24 years) and 1% of adult patients (25-113 years) screened as potential suicide risk.
• 1% of both pediatric and adult samples screened as imminent risk.
• Elevated risk observed in early adolescents (12-14 years), young adults (25-34 years), pediatric females, adult males, and uninsured/government-insured adults.

Conclusions:

• Universal suicide risk screening in hospitals is necessary.
• Younger adolescents, young adults, and adults with specific insurance statuses require focused attention.
• The psychiatric/substance use diagnostic category showed significantly higher suicide risk rates.