Want more iVillage? Sign up for our
Newsletters
Suicide Assessment
A suicide assessment is used to determine whether a person is at risk for a suicide attempt. Questions asked during a suicide assessment include:
- Have you ever felt so bad that you thought you would like to go to sleep and never wake up?
- Have you ever felt so bad that you thought you would be better off dead?
- Have you ever thought that you are a burden on your family and friends or that your family and friends would be better off without you?
- Do you notice that you've been drinking more alcohol (or using more drugs) than usual or taking chances that you might not have taken before?
- Have you ever thought about hurting or killing yourself?
- Have you ever tried to hurt or kill yourself?
- Do you ever hear voices telling you to hurt or kill yourself?
- Have you tried to hurt or kill yourself?
- What stops you from hurting or killing yourself?
- If you ever thought of hurting or killing yourself, how would you do it?
If a person has thoughts of harming him- or herself, the health professional always asks if he or she has access to the materials needed to follow through with those plans.
If a depressed person has thoughts of suicide, a plan for suicide, and access to the materials needed to follow through with the plan, he or she is at great risk and should be admitted to a hospital for safety.
| By: | Healthwise Staff | Last Revised: August 19, 2010 |
| Medical Review: | Kathleen Romito, MD - Family Medicine Miklos Ferenc Losonczy, MD, PhD - Psychiatry | |
© 1995-2011 Healthwise, Incorporated. Healthwise, Healthwise for every health decision, and the Healthwise logo are trademarks of Healthwise, Incorporated. This information does not replace the advice of a doctor. Healthwise, Incorporated disclaims any warranty or liability for your use of this information. Your use of this information means that you agree to the Terms of Use. How this information was developed to help you make better health decisions.
