Detecting Risk of Suicide in a Pediatric Emergency Department
Condition: Adolescents; Mental Disorder Diagnosed in Childhood; Suicide Prevention
MeSH terms: Emergencies; Suicide; Mental Disorders; Suicide Prevention; Neurodevelopmental Disorders
Study type: Observational

Summary: 
      Objective:

      The ultimate goal of this project is to enhance the capacity of non-mental health clinicians
      working in an Emergency Departments (ED) to recognize and initiate further evaluation of
      children and adolescents at risk for suicide.

      Aim 1: To re-validate the Risk of Suicide Questionnaire (RSQ), a screening tool that assists
      non-psychiatric clinicians in rapidly detecting suicide risk in pediatric patients, in a
      pediatric ED mental health population in the Children s National Medical Center (CNMC) ED.

      Aim 2: To determine the utility of a suicide screening tool, a revised version of the Risk of
      Suicide Questionnaire, to detect suicide risk in pediatric patients presenting to the CNMC ED
      for non-mental health reasons.

      Study population:

      The study population includes all patients admitted to the CNMC Emergency Department, ages 10
      to 21, during the data collection weeks of the study period. Both patients admitted for
      mental health and non-mental health reasons will be included in the study.

      Design:

      This will be a prospective instrument development /validation study. During a designated
      study week, all mental health patients and a random subset of non-mental health patients
      admitted to the CNMC ED will be approached after their triage assessment. Following informed
      consent and assent, a 17-item suicide assessment tool created for this research project
      (RSQ-Revised), as well as a brief background questionnaire will be administered. These
      questions will be validated against a gold standard suicide assessment questionnaire, which
      will be administered to the subjects directly after the RSQ-Revised. The study aims to
      develop a brief suicide screening tool to be used at triage for all patients entering the ED.

      Measures

      Measures include the proposed 17-item screening questionnaire and a gold standard assessment
      of suicidal ideation in adolescents, the Suicide Ideation Questionnaire (SIQ).
    

Detailed description: 
      Objective:

      The ultimate goal of this project is to enhance the capacity of non-mental health clinicians
      working in an Emergency Department (ED) to recognize and initiate further evaluation of
      children and adolescents at risk for suicide.

        -  Aim 1: To re-validate the Risk of Suicide Questionnaire (RSQ), a screening tool that
           assists non-psychiatric clinicians in rapidly detecting suicide risk in pediatric
           patients, in a pediatric ED mental health population.

        -  Aim 2: To determine the utility of a suicide screening tool, a revised version of the
           Risk of Suicide Questionnaire, to detect suicide risk in pediatric patients presenting
           to a pediatric ED for non-mental health reasons.

      Study population:

      This is a multi-site study and will include all patients admitted to three pediatric EDs (the
      Children s National Medical Center (CNMC) ED, Children s Hospital Boston (CHB) ED, and
      Nationwide Children s Hospital (NCH) ED), ages 10 to 21, during the data collection days of
      the study period. Both patients admitted for mental health and non-mental health reasons will
      be included in the study.

      For ease of reading, from here on in, the three pediatric EDs participating in this
      multi-site study will be referred to as the PEDIATRIC ED.

      Design:

      This will be a prospective instrument development / validation study. During 5 to 10 weekdays
      of the month, all mental health patients and a random subset of non-mental health patients
      admitted to the PEDIATRIC ED will be approached after their triage assessment. Following
      informed consent and assent, a 17-item suicide assessment tool created for this research
      project (RSQ-Revised), as well as a brief background questionnaire will be administered.
      These questions will be validated against a gold standard suicide assessment questionnaire,
      which will be administered to the subjects directly after the RSQ-Revised. The study aims to
      develop a brief suicide screening tool to be used at triage for all patients entering the ED.

      Measures

      Measures include the proposed 17-item screening questionnaire and a gold standard assessment
      of suicidal ideation in adolescents, the Suicide Ideation Questionnaire (SIQ).
    

Time perspective: Prospective
Keywords: Screening; Suicide; Emergency Department; Children and Adolescents; Suicide Risk