Validating the Ask Suicide-Screening Questions in Amharic for Ethiopian paediatric patients

Healthcare providers in Ethiopia require validated tools to screen paediatric patients for suicide risk in Amharic, the official language of Ethiopia.

This study aimed to examine the psychometric properties of the Ask Suicide-Screening Questions (ASQ) tool in Amharic among Ethiopian paediatric patients.

This cross-sectional instrument validation study was conducted from February 2021 to September 2022. Paediatric patients were recruited from the emergency department, outpatient clinics, and medical inpatient units at Tikur Anbessa Specialised Hospital in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Paediatric patients (aged 10 to 18 years, inclusive) were enrolled. Participants completed the Amharic language version of the ASQ, the index test. A brief suicide safety assessment administered by a clinician served as the reference standard for validation.

A total of 159 paediatric patients were enrolled; 42 youth (26%) screened positive on the ASQ, and 10 (6%) were deemed "at risk" for suicide by a clinician. Compared to the reference standard, the ASQ had a sensitivity of 1.000 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.000 to 1.000), specificity of 0.785 (95% CI: 0.719 to 0.851), and area under the curve value of 0.890 (95% CI: 0.860 to 0.926). While most youth (n = 117; 74%) felt comfortable being screened for suicide risk, only 52.2% (n = 83) thought medical providers should ask youth about suicide.

The Amharic version of the ASQ demonstrated strong psychometric properties and appears to be a valid suicide risk screening tool in the sample population. Future research should explore the feasibility and acceptability of screening Ethiopian paediatric patients for suicide risk.