Screening for Suicide Risk in Adults: A Summary of the Evidence for the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force

18 May 2004 | Volume 140 Issue 10 | Pages 822-835

Background: Suicide is the 11th leading cause of death and the seventh leading cause of years of potential life lost in the United States. Although suicide is of great public health significance, its clinical management is complicated.

Purpose: The authors systematically reviewed the literature to determine whether screening for suicide risk in primary care settings decreases morbidity, mortality, or both.

Data Sources: MEDLINE (1966 to 17 October 2002), PsycINFO, Cochrane databases, hand-searched bibliographies, and experts.

Study Selection: For screening, only English-language studies performed in primary care settings were examined. For treatment, randomized, controlled trials and cohort studies were included if they were performed in any setting where suicide completions, suicide attempts, or suicidal ideation were reported.

Data Extraction: A primary reviewer abstracted data on key variables of study sample, design, and outcomes; a second reviewer checked information accuracy against the original articles.

Data Synthesis: No study directly addressed whether screening for suicide in primary care reduces morbidity and mortality. The remainder of the review focused on the questions of reliable screening tests for suicide risk and the effectiveness of interventions to decrease depression, suicidal ideation, and suicide attempts or completion. One screening study provided limited evidence for the accuracy of suicide screening in a primary care setting. Intervention studies provided fair and mixed evidence that treating those at risk for suicide reduces the number of suicide attempts or completions. The evidence suggests mild to moderate improvement for interventions addressing intermediate outcomes such as suicidal ideation, decreased depressive severity, decreased hopelessness, or improved level of function.

Conclusion: Because of the complexity of studying the risk for suicide and the paucity of well-designed research studies, only limited evidence guides the primary care clinician's assessment and management of suicide risk.

Author and Article Information

From University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, and RTI International, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina; and Tri-County Family Medicine, Cohocton, and University of Rochester, Rochester, New York.

Acknowledgments: The authors thank David Atkins, MD, MPH, Chief Medical Officer of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Center for Practice and Technology Assessment, and Jean Slutsky, PA, MSPH, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Task Order Officer for the USPSTF project. They appreciate the considerable support and contributions of members of the RTI International staff: Sonya Sutton, BSPH, and Loraine Monroe. In addition, they thank the staff from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research: Carol Krasnov for administrative assistance and coordination and Timothy S. Carey, MD, MPH, Director of the Sheps Center and Co-Director of the RTI International–University of North Carolina Evidence-based Practice Center.

Grant Support: By contract 290-97-0011 from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (Task No. 3).

Potential Financial Conflicts of Interest: None disclosed.

Requests for Single Reprints: Reprints are available from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Web site (http://www.preventiveservices.ahrq.gov) and through the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Publications Clearinghouse (telephone, 800-358-9295).

Current Author Addresses: Dr. Gaynes: Department of Psychiatry, CB 7160, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599.

Dr. West: The North Carolina Program for Women's Health Research, Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research, 725 Airport Road, CB 7590, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7590.

Dr. Ford: Adolescent Medicine Program, CB 7220, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7220.

Dr. Frame: Tri-County Family Medicine, 25 Park Avenue, PO Box 112, Cohocton, NY 14826.

Dr. Klein: Department of Adolescent Medicine, University of Rochester, 601 Elmwood Avenue, Box 690, Rochester, NY 14642.

Dr. Lohr: RTI International, 3040 Cornwallis Road, PO Box 21294, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709-2194.