One-week suicide risk prediction using real-time smartphone monitoring: Prospective cohort study

Background: Suicide is a major global public health issue that is becoming increasingly common despite preventive efforts. Though current methods for predicting suicide risk are not sufficiently accurate, technological advances provide invaluable tools with which we may evolve toward a personalized, predictive approach. Objective: We aim to predict the short-term (1-week) risk of suicide by […]

Evaluating the clinical utility of an easily applicable prediction model of suicide attempts, newly developed and validated with a general community sample of adults

Background A suicide attempt (SA) is a clinically serious action. Researchers have argued that reducing long-term SA risk may be possible, provided that at-risk individuals are identified and receive adequate treatment. Algorithms may accurately identify at-risk individuals. However, the clinical utility of algorithmically estimated long-term SA risk has never been the predominant focus of any […]

Machine learning and the prediction of suicide in psychiatric populations: A systematic review

Machine learning (ML) has emerged as a promising tool to enhance suicidal prediction. However, as many large-sample studies mixed psychiatric and non-psychiatric populations, a formal psychiatric diagnosis emerged as a strong predictor of suicidal risk, overshadowing more subtle risk factors specific to distinct populations. To overcome this limitation, we conducted a systematic review of ML […]

Assessing suicide prevention apps’ responsiveness to help-seeking needs of individuals connected with mental health services (IN: The role of digital health policy and leadership, edited by K. Keshavjee and A. Khatami)

This paper maps suicide help-seeking needs identified in the literature, on to the features and functionalities of suicide prevention mobile apps using the adapted ecological model, thereby revealing existing gaps between help-seeking needs and available apps. This paper builds upon previous work by our team, which includes 1) a rapid scoping review aimed at identifying […]

Assessing suicidal ideation in young people with depression: Factor structure of the suicidal ideation questionnaire

Evaluating suicidal ideation in young people seeking mental health treatment is an important component of clinical assessment and treatment planning. To reduce the burden of youth suicide, we need to improve our understanding of suicidal ideation, its underlying constructs, and how ideation translates into suicidal behaviour. Using exploratory factor analysis, we investigated the dimensionality of […]

Frequency and predictors of virtual hope box use in individuals experiencing suicidal ideation: An ecological momentary assessment investigation

Introduction The Virtual Hope Box (VHB) is a smartphone application designed to support emotion regulation when one is distressed, in a crisis, or experiencing suicidal ideation (SI). Initial proof of concept studies indicate that individuals are more likely to use the VHB than traditional hope boxes, and find it both easy to setup and helpful. […]

Rapid screening for suicide risk: An algorithmic approach

Introduction In the United States, primary medical care settings are the first accessed resource for both medical and behavioral health care. Thus, there is a clear need for accurate and efficient behavioral health screening in this setting, including routine surveillance screening for suicide risk. The Multidimensional Behavioral Health Screen (MBHS), a broadband but very brief […]

Acceptability and feasibility of a smartphone-based real-time assessment of suicide among Black men: Mixed methods pilot study

Background: Suicide rates in the United States have increased recently among Black men. To address this public health crisis, smartphone-based ecological momentary assessment (EMA) platforms are a promising way to collect dynamic, real-time data that can help improve suicide prevention efforts. Despite the promise of this methodology, little is known about its suitability in detecting […]

Quantitative content analysis of Freedom of Information requests examining the extent and variations of tools and training for conducting suicide risk assessments in NHS Trusts across England

Objectives Determining the risk for suicide is a difficult endeavour. Clinical guidance in the UK explicitly advises against using risk assessment tools and scales to determine suicide risk. Based on Freedom of Information (FoI) requests made to NHS Trusts in England, this study provides an overview of suicide risk assessment tools in use, training provided in […]

The content of patient-identified suicidal drivers within CAMS treatment planning

The Collaborative Assessment and Management of Suicidality (CAMS) is an evidence-based, suicide-focused, clinical framework that effectively treats people who are suicidal across clinical settings. A central tool within CAMS is the Suicide Status Form (SSF) which is a multipurpose assessment, treatment planning, tracking, to clinical outcome tool that guides suicide-focused care from the start of […]

ASSIP vs. crisis counseling for preventing suicide re-attempts: Outcome predictor analysis of a randomized clinical trial data

Objective: Knowledge of the effectiveness and limits of the suitability of brief interventions in suicide prevention is greatly needed. We investigated subgroup differences and predictors for suicide re-attempts within a clinical trial population recruited for a brief intervention to prevent re-attempts. Methods: Consenting adult patients receiving treatment for a suicide attempt in Helsinki City general hospital emergency […]

Suicide risk screening and assessment before and after the COVID-19 pandemic in new inmates

Background: Suicide is the main cause of death in Italian prisons. The largest number of inmates who killed themselves was recorded during three years of the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aimed to explore psychosocial risk factors for suicide among inmates incarcerated before and after the onset of COVID-19. Methods: At prison reception, inmates underwent clinical […]

Mapping clinical interactions in an Australian tertiary hospital emergency department for patients presenting with risk of suicide or self-harm: Network modeling from observational data

Background: Reliable assessment of suicide and self-harm risk in emergency medicine is critical for effective intervention and treatment of patients affected by mental health disorders. Teams of clinicians face the challenge of rapidly integrating medical history, wide-ranging psychosocial factors, and real-time patient observations to inform diagnosis, treatment, and referral decisions. Patient outcomes therefore depend on the […]

Examination of the mediating role of attachment dimensions in the link between suicide probability and cognitive distortion about relationships in university students

Suicide, which is defined as an individual’s intentionally attempting to end his or her life, is considered an important public health problem. In this study, it was aimed to examine the relationship between cognitive distortions and suicide probability in university students who are in age groups at risk for suicide, and to examine the mediating […]

Identifying features of risk periods for suicide attempts using document frequency and language use in electronic health records

Background: Individualising mental healthcare at times when a patient is most at risk of suicide involves shifting research emphasis from static risk factors to those that may be modifiable with interventions. Currently, risk assessment is based on a range of extensively reported stable risk factors, but critical to dynamic suicide risk assessment is an understanding of […]

Suicide screening and risk assessment in the emergency department: Case review of a suicide attempt survivor

One in 10 of those who die by suicide are seen in an emergency department within the 2 months before their death. Despite national guidelines and resources (including from the Joint Commission and Emergency Nurses Association) for suicide screening, risk assessment, and follow-up care, suicidal ideation and behavior continue to go undetected in emergency departments, […]

Predicting suicidal ideation in psychiatrically hospitalized veterans using the death/suicide Implicit Association Test: A prospective cohort study

Introduction We investigated whether the Death/Suicide Implicit Association Test (D/S-IAT) predicted suicidal ideation (SI) in psychiatric inpatients. Methods One hundred eighty veterans admitted for either SI or suicidal behavior (SB) (the primary sample) (N = 90) or alcohol detoxification (N = 90) completed the D/S-IAT and scales measuring SI. Correlation and regression coefficients were measured between the D/S-IAT (as […]

Psychologists’ experiences conducting suicide risk assessments: A phenomenological study

Psychologists conduct suicide risk assessments (SRAs) regularly to identify and prevent clients’ self-harm and risk of death, although little is known about their experiences of the process. In this phenomenological study, five registered psychologists (master’s and doctoral level) were interviewed to explore the essence of their SRA experiences. Psychologists reported weaving tenets of assessment and […]

Suicide risk assessment and prevention tools in the UK: Current landscape and future directions

Suicide is a major global public health problem, with profound implications for individuals, families, and communities. In the United Kingdom (UK), despite efforts to detect and manage suicidal ideas, suicide rates persist, especially among middle-aged men and women, particularly those aged 45 to 54 years. Recent global challenges, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change, […]

Psychologists’ practices, training, and experiences conducting suicide risk assessment in Canada: An explanatory sequential mixed methods study

The purpose of this study was to understand how, or if, psychologists in Canada have been incorporating this information into their practice, as well as more broadly understanding how they learn and experience the process of suicide risk assessment (SRA). To do this, I used a sequential explanatory mixed methods approach, which integrates both quantitative […]

Meta-analysis of clinical risk factors for suicide among people presenting to emergency departments and general hospitals with suicidal thoughts and behaviours

Background: Suicidal thoughts and behaviours (STB) are a common reason for presentation to emergency departments and general hospitals. A meta-analysis of the strength of clinical risk factors for subsequent suicide might aid understanding of suicidal behaviour and help suicide prevention. Methods: We conducted a meta-analysis of cohort and controlled studies on clinical risk factors and later suicide […]

24-hour warning signs for adolescent suicide attempts

Background: Little is known about when youth may be at greatest risk for attempting suicide, which is critically important information for the parents, caregivers, and professionals who care for youth at risk. This study used adolescent and parent reports, and a case-crossover, within-subject design to identify 24-hour warning signs (WS) for suicide attempts. Methods: Adolescents (N = 1094, ages 13 […]

A review of suicide risk assessment tools and their measured psychometric properties in Korea

While there has been a slew of review studies on suicide measurement tools until now, there were not any reviews focusing on suicide assessment tools available in Korea. This review aimed to examine the psychometric properties of tools developed in Korea or the translated versions from the original tools in their foreign language and to […]