Detecting Suicide Risk in Psychiatric Emergency Services

The objective of this study was to provide guidelines for the identification of suicide risk & protective factors & the management of suicidal persons in emergency settings. A literature review identified relevant & illustrative key cases. The clinical interview is the best method to evaluate suicidal risk & has a twofold purpose: providing emotional support & creating a bond, & collecting information including risk & protective factors, epidemiologic data, characterization of the event, psychodynamic aspects, personal & family history, identification models, data on physical health, & social support network. Although several scales have been proposed, none have shown reliable efficiency in determining suicidal risk. (29 refs.)