Suicide Screening & Intervention

Behavioral Health Clinical Learning Collaborative

• • Behavioral Health Clinical Learning Collaborative
  • Trauma Informed Care Pilot Project
  • Suicide Screening & Intervention
  • Reducing Stigma
  • Resources

Suicide Screening and Intervention in New Hampshire Emergency Departments

Suicide is a public health crisis.  It is the 11th leading cause of death nationally, but in NH it is the 8th leading cause of death for all ages. Suicide is ranked 2nd in cause of death for ages 10-34. In 2021, 12.3 million adults aged 18 and over and 3.3 million adolescents aged 12-17 had serious thoughts of suicide in the past year, with many of these patients presenting in hospital Emergency Departments (ED).

The ED can provide a source of support for many people with suicidal ideation. Although EDs are hectic and busy environments, they are designed to screen and treat emergency conditions and stabilize patients.  ED clinicians and staff can help to save lives by screening for suicidal ideation and providing interventions when appropriate.

Suicide screening tools are designed to assist in determining a patient’s level of risk and should be used as an extension of professional clinical judgment. The initial suicide screening should be brief and, when combined with clinical judgment as well as other factors including collateral and other sources of information, can assist in determining next steps in patient care. The Behavioral Health Clinical Learning Collaborative (Collaborative) members have examined suicide screening policies and interventions for the ED setting in both NH hospitals and nationally. The Collaborative created the Suicide Screening and Intervention Toolkit to outline recommendations based on current evidence, experience and input from Collaborative members and stakeholders. The Collaborative members’ aim is to provide information to help EDs identify, support, and treat patients with suicidal ideation. The toolkit is strictly a guide for implementation.

Suicide Screening and Intervention Toolkit

If you, or someone you care about, is experiencing a mental health or a substance use crisis, please call the NH Rapid Response Access Point at 1-833-710-6477 for a NH response.  Visit New Hampshire Rapid Response Access Point (nh988.com) for more information.