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Provider opinions of the acceptability of Ask Suicide-Screening Questions (ASQ) Tool and the ASQ Brief Suicide Safety Assessment (BSSA) for universal suicide risk screening in community healthcare: Potential barriers and necessary elements for future implementation

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Abstract

A convenience sample of community health care providers (N = 19) was asked to preview and rate the acceptability of the Ask Suicide-Screening Questions (ASQ) tool and the ASQ Brief Suicide Safety Assessment (BSSA) guide. Providers were also asked about potential barriers to implementation. The majority of participants stated they would be comfortable screening for suicide with the ASQ tool (78.9%; N = 15), that they would recommend the ASQ tool and the BSSA to colleagues (84.2%; N = 16), and that they were “satisfied” or “highly satisfied” with the ASQ and BSSA (88.2%; N = 13). Barriers to implementation reported included a lack of knowledge regarding suicide risk screening and lack of access to behavioral health resources. Education regarding the ASQ, the BSSA, and suicide risk screening are highlighted as crucial elements for future implementation.

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Funding

This work was supported by a pilot grant from the West Virginia Clinical and Translational Science Institute (WVCTSI) (Award #C1006000DW) and received administrative and participant recruitment support from the West Virginia Practice-Based Research Network (WVPBRN). This research was also supported in part by the Intramural Research Program of the NIMH (Annual Report Number ZIAMH002922). Work on this paper was supported by the National Institute on Drug Abuse grants U01 DA041089.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. West Virginia University School of Social Work, 105 Knapp Hall, Morgantown, WV, 26506, USA

    Mary Christensen LeCloux PhD

  2. University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA

    Laika D. Aguinaldo PhD, MSW

  3. The Catholic University of America, Washington, D.C., USA

    Elizabeth C. Lanzillo MA

  4. Intramural Research Program, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA

    Lisa M. Horowitz PhD, MPH

Authors
  1. Mary Christensen LeCloux PhD
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  2. Laika D. Aguinaldo PhD, MSW
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  3. Elizabeth C. Lanzillo MA
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  4. Lisa M. Horowitz PhD, MPH
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Correspondence to Mary Christensen LeCloux PhD.

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Christensen LeCloux, M., Aguinaldo, L.D., Lanzillo, E.C. et al. Provider opinions of the acceptability of Ask Suicide-Screening Questions (ASQ) Tool and the ASQ Brief Suicide Safety Assessment (BSSA) for universal suicide risk screening in community healthcare: Potential barriers and necessary elements for future implementation. J Behav Health Serv Res 49, 346–363 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11414-022-09787-3

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