Suicide assessment and treatment in pediatric primary care settings

TOPIC: This article will briefly review screening for depression and suicidal ideation in primary care and school‐based clinics, with a focus on in‐depth screening for imminent suicide risk, developing a safety plan, and incorporating handoffs to urgent and emergency mental health care personnel. The article will cover current definitions of levels of suicidal risk and clinic‐based protocols for a team approach to adolescents in crisis. PURPOSE: To provide primary care and behavioral health nurses with evidence‐based suicide risk screening and assessment tools and best practices for using them in patient‐centered encounters with adolescents with suicidal thinking or behavior. SOURCES USED: Journal articles, books, and reports. CONCLUSION: Past studies have shown that many individuals who died by suicide had seen a primary care provider in 30 days before their deaths. Nurses in primary care settings should develop clinic‐based protocols for screening all adolescents for suicide risk, developing safety plans, and providing suicidal youth and families with monitoring, appropriate referrals, follow‐up, and support.