Ea. Thompson et Ll. Eggert, Using the suicide risk screen to identify suicidal adolescents among potential high school dropouts, J AM A CHIL, 38(12), 1999, pp. 1506-1514
Citations number
23
Categorie Soggetti
Psychiatry
Journal title
JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF CHILD AND ADOLESCENT PSYCHIATRY
Objective: To examine the validity of the Suicide Risk Screen (SRS) for ide
ntifying suicide-risk youths among potential high school dropouts. Method:
Five hundred eighty-one potential dropouts, aged 14 to 20 years, participat
ed in a 3-stage case identification protocol. A potential dropout pool was
created in 7 schools; students, randomly selected, completed a questionnair
e containing the SRS and participated in an assessment interview. Validity
measures included Reynolds' Suicide Ideation Questionnaire (SIQ-JR) and 2 c
linician rating scales, the Direct Suicide Risk (DSR) and Clinical Risk Ass
essment (CRA). Results: Suicide-risk severity was significantly associated
with categorization defined by the SRS criteria. SRS sensitivity ranged fro
m 87% to 100%, specificity from 54% to 60%. Of 7 SRS elements, depression,
suicidal ideation, and suicide threats predicted all validity measures. Sui
cide attempts predicted the DSR and CRA, but not Reynolds' SIQ-JR. Drug inv
olvement, though relatively weaker, consistently predicted all validity mea
sures. No additional psychosocial indicators improved the prediction of SIQ
-JR or the DSR, Family support, likelihood of dropout, and risky behaviors,
however, were additional predictors of the CRA ratings. Conclusions: The S
RS is an effective and pragmatic method for identifying suicide-risk youths
among potential dropouts in school settings.