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Emergency Department Screening for Suicide and Mental Health Risk

  • Child and Adolescent Disorders (TD Benton, Section Editor)
  • Published:
Current Psychiatry Reports Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Suicide is the second leading cause of death among youth ages 10–24. An estimated 1.5 million US adolescents receive their primary health care in the emergency department (ED); this is particularly true for low-income and minority youths who often lack a regular source of care. ED visits can provide a window of opportunity to screen and identify youths with suicide and mental health risk, triage youths based on need, and facilitate effective follow-up care. Recently developed brief therapeutic assessment approaches have demonstrated success in improving rates of follow-up care after discharge from the ED. Furthermore, there is some data supporting clinical benefits when youths receive evidence-based outpatient follow-up care. ED screening combined with effective follow-up, therefore, may provide one strategy for improving mental health and reducing health disparities in our nation. This paper reviews the context in which ED screenings occur, available tools and strategies, and evidence for the effectiveness of tested approaches.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA

    Kalina Babeva

  2. Center for Depression Research and Clinical Care, UT Southwestern Medical Center, 5323 Harry Hines Boulevard, Dallas, TX, 75390-9119, USA

    Jennifer L. Hughes

  3. Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA

    Joan Asarnow

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Correspondence to Kalina Babeva.

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Kalina Babeva declares no conflict of interest.

Jennifer L. Hughes declares grants from the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and the National Institute of Mental Health.

Joan Asarnow declares grants from the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, National Institute of Mental Health, and the American Psychological Association (APA) Committee on Division/APA Relations. Dr. Asarnow also receives funding from the Society of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, APA Division 53.

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Babeva, K., Hughes, J.L. & Asarnow, J. Emergency Department Screening for Suicide and Mental Health Risk. Curr Psychiatry Rep 18, 100 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11920-016-0738-6

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