Journal article
Prevalence of suicidality in asymptomatic adolescents in the paediatric emergency department and utility of a screening tool
SM Hopper, JW Woo, LN Sharwood, FE Babl, EJ Long
EMA Emergency Medicine Australasia | WILEY-BLACKWELL | Published : 2012
Abstract
Objective: Many authorities recommend screening adolescents for risk of suicide. The ED is a potential setting for such screening. The aim of this study is to explore the use of the Risk of Suicide Questionnaire (RSQ) as a screening tool for suicidality in patients who come to the ED without mental health concerns and without recent mental health history. The Suicide Ideation Questionnaire (SIQ) was the comparison standard. Methods: A cross-sectional convenience sample of overtly psychiatrically asymptomatic adolescents presenting to a large paediatric ED underwent both the RSQ and SIQ. Adolescents with positive screens underwent formal assessment by mental health practitioners. Results: Two..
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Funding Acknowledgements
The authors wish to acknowledge the contribution of the ED mental health workers led by Mr David Reid, M Psych, Grad Dip App Ch Psych, in performing the SIQ screening test and subsequent risk assessments. We acknowledge grant support from the Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Melbourne, Australia and the Victorian Government's Operational Infrastructure Support Program. SMH, who is independent of any commercial funder, had full access to all the data in the study and takes responsibility for the integrity of the data and the accuracy of the data analysis. No support in the form of equipment or drugs was received.