Adolescent Patients Agree with Suicide Screening in the ED

Surprisingly, less than half of adolescent ED patients surveyed had previously been asked about suicide.

To assess adolescents' opinions about suicide screening in the emergency department (ED), investigators surveyed a convenience sample of 156 patients aged 10 to 21 years who presented to a pediatric urban tertiary ED with psychiatric (32%) or nonpsychiatric (68%) complaints during 2008 to 2009. Participants were asked questions about sociodemographics, medical and psychiatric history, healthcare use, and suicide, including “Do you think ER nurses should ask kids about suicide/thoughts about hurting themselves. . .why/why not?”

Overall, 96% of participants agreed with suicide screening in the ED; leading reasons included identifying youth at risk, a desire to feel known and understood by clinicians, connecting youth with help and resources, a…

Reviewing Author

Katherine Bakes, MD

Disclosures

RoyaltiesEmergency Medicine Secrets (Elsevier)

Grant/Research SupportDepartment of Justice

Editorial BoardsEmergency Medicine Secrets (Elsevier); Rosen’s Emergency Medicine (Elsevier)

Katherine Bakes, MD

Disclosures

RoyaltiesEmergency Medicine Secrets (Elsevier)

Grant/Research SupportDepartment of Justice

Editorial BoardsEmergency Medicine Secrets (Elsevier); Rosen’s Emergency Medicine (Elsevier)