Premium
How Psychiatrists Weigh Risk Factors When Assessing Suicide Risk
Author(s) -
Truant G. S.,
O'Reilly R.,
Donaldson L.
Publication year - 1991
Publication title -
suicide and life‐threatening behavior
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.544
H-Index - 90
eISSN - 1943-278X
pISSN - 0363-0234
DOI - 10.1111/j.1943-278x.1991.tb00459.x
Subject(s) - suicidal ideation , mood , affect (linguistics) , psychology , suicide risk , depression (economics) , clinical psychology , psychiatry , risk factor , social risk , suicide prevention , medicine , poison control , medical emergency , environmental health , communication , economics , macroeconomics
The clinical assessment of suicide risk is a difficult task that the traditional literature contributes to in a limited way. This study aims to complement the traditional literature by determining the ranking of suicide risk factors by a group of 81 psychiatrists. Hopelessness was ranked the most important risk factor, followed by Suicidal Ideation, Previous Attempts, the Level of Mood and Affect, Quality of Relationships, Signs and Symptoms of Depression, and Social Integration. Less highly ranked risk factors are also noted. The significance of these findings is discussed with respect to the literature and commonly used textbooks of psychiatry.