Suicide assessment tools

What psychometric tools and clinical scales can we use in the assessment of suicide?

  • Beck Suicide Ideation Scale

    It has 19 items, five items are for screening, the rest are for measuring severity. First 10 items for active suicidal desire. It applies to those aged 17 and above.

  • Suicide Intent Scale

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  • Ask Suicide-Screening Questions tool

    A brief tool for use among both youth and adults It is a set of four screening questions that take 20 seconds to administer. In an NIMH study, a “yes” response to one or more of the four questions identified 97% of youth at risk for suicide.

SAD Persons

It is a clinical assessment tool for adolescents and children

Sex (gender), male gender

Age, increasing age

Depression (or bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, anorexia, etc.)

A previous attempt which is the most significant risk factor)

Ethanol, i.e. alcohol or other substance use

Rational thinking, loss of dichotomous thinking, hopelessness, etc. 

Social support, lacking, especially loneliness

Organized plan

Negligent parenting 

Significant family stressors 

Suicidal modeling by parents or siblings 

School problems


SAD Persons