Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale
A suicide risk evaluation tool assessing ideation and behavior.
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The Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS) is a suicidal ideation and behavior rating scale developed by researchers at Columbia University, University of Pennsylvania, University of Pittsburgh, and New York University to evaluate suicide risk. It rates an individual's degree of suicidal ideation from a wish to be dead to active suicidal ideation with specific plan and intent and behaviors. The scale identifies specific behaviors that may indicate an individual's intent to kill oneself, with individuals exhibiting even a single such behavior being 8 to 10 times more likely to die by suicide.
Quick Facts
- Purpose
- evaluate suicide risk
Facts from the source article.
Scoring and interpretation
The Screener contains six yes/no questions about thoughts and feelings over the past month and behaviors over the lifetime and past three months. Question 1 addresses a wish to be dead; question 2 covers non-specific suicidal thoughts; questions 3 through 5 address more specific suicidal thoughts and intent to act; question 6 covers suicidal behavior. If the respondent answers yes to question 2, they proceed to questions 3 through 5; otherwise, they skip to question 6. A yes to any question may indicate need for referral to a trained mental health professional, and a yes to questions 4, 5, or 6 indicates high risk.
More in Mental Disorders Screening and Assessment Tools
Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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