Child-Adolescent Suicidal Potential Index (CASPI): A screen for risk for early onset suicidal behavior

This study's purpose was to develop a reliable and valid self-report questi onnaire, the Child-Adolescent Suicidal Potential Index (CASPI), to screen f or risk for suicidal behavior in children and adolescents. Four hundred twe nty-five child and adolescent psychiatric patients and nonpatients complete d the CASPI and other research instruments to rate suicidal and assaultive behavior and symptoms of depression, anxiety, and hopelessness. The 30-item CASPI involves 3 factors (anxious-impulsive depression, suicidal ideation or acts, family distress) that contributed to a unidimensional 2nd-order fa ctor accounting for 59% of the total variance. Internal consistency (alpha) for the total score was .90, and test-retest reliability (ICC) for the tot al score was .76. Total score distinguished between children and adolescent s with different severity of psychopathology and different levels of suicid al and assaultive behavior. Each of the 3 factors had different contributio ns to discriminating between levels of suicidal status. CASPI total score o f 11 distinguished suicidal ideation or acts from nonsuicidal behavior, wit h sensitivity 70% and specificity 65%, CASPI total score positively correla ted with symptom severity of depression, anxiety, and hopelessness.