Assessment of Suicidal Behaviors and Risk Among Children and Adolescents NIMH Contract No. 263-MD-909995

This review focuses on instruments which have been used to evaluate suicidal behaviours in children & adolescents since 1989. Instruments are included if they focus on suicidal behaviours or include questions that can be used for assessing suicide risk. Several groups of instruments are reviewed: instruments for assessing the presence of suicidal behaviours; instruments for assessing risk or propensity of suicidal behaviours; instruments for assessing intentionality & medical lethality; & other instruments. Instruments are described in terms of definitions of suicidal behaviours used & the psychometric characteristics of the instrument. Psychometric data for specific ethnic/cultural groups are described when available.