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Identification, Assessment, and Management of Suicide Risk in Emergency Departments: Significant Updates in Research and Practice

  • Behavioral Health (L Zun, Section Editors)
  • Published:
Current Emergency and Hospital Medicine Reports Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose of Review

It is estimated that emergency departments (EDs) could prevent 5% of all suicide attempts and 8% of suicide deaths, making EDs a critical setting in which to identify individuals at risk for suicide and to intervene to mitigate the risk. The goal of this review was to detail recent advances in the identification, assessment, and management of suicide risk in emergency medicine and to provide best practice recommendations for these processes.

Recent Findings

Advances in caring for patients who present to EDs with suicide risk include improved workflows and tools for ED providers to identify, assess, and manage suicide risk, increased patient-centeredness and quality of ED care for patients at risk of suicide, and shifting beliefs of ED providers regarding the feasibility of integrating the assessment and management of suicide risk into emergency care.

Summary

ED suicide prevention efforts have notably changed in recent years. Strategies for universal screening, secondary screening tools, and evidence-based workflows for the management of suicide risk all show potential for feasibly addressing suicide risk in EDs. Effective implementation of evidence-based practices is necessary as integrating these new practices requires significant change in the clinical practice and culture of many EDs.

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Acknowledgements

A portion of the writing of this manuscript was supported by the Office of Academic Affiliations, Advanced Fellowship Program in Mental Illness Research and Treatment, Department of Veterans Affairs.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Rocky Mountain Mental Illness Research, Education and Clinical Center (MIRECC), Denver VA Medical Center, Denver, CO, USA

    Megan L. Petrik & Jennifer H. Olson-Madden

  2. Department of Medicine, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN, USA

    Megan L. Petrik

  3. Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, USA

    Marian E. Betz

  4. Departments of Psychiatry and Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, USA

    Jennifer H. Olson-Madden

  5. Hennepin County Medical Center, Minneapolis, MN, USA

    Collin Davidson

  6. Johnson Depression Center, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, USA

    Michael H. Allen

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  1. Megan L. Petrik
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  4. Collin Davidson
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Correspondence to Megan L. Petrik.

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Petrik, M.L., Betz, M.E., Olson-Madden, J.H. et al. Identification, Assessment, and Management of Suicide Risk in Emergency Departments: Significant Updates in Research and Practice. Curr Emerg Hosp Med Rep 5, 94–102 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40138-017-0135-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40138-017-0135-4

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