Abigail M Ross1, Erina White2, Daniel Powell3, Sally Nelson2, Lisa Horowitz3, Elizabeth Wharff4. 1. Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA. Electronic address: abigail.ross@childrens.harvard.edu. 2. Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA. 3. National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD. 4. Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA; Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To describe opinions about suicide risk screening in a pediatric medical inpatient sample. STUDY DESIGN: As part of a larger instrument validation study, 200 pediatric medical inpatients (ages 10-21 years) were screened for suicide risk. Participants completed demographic self-report forms and were asked their opinions about suicide risk screening. Patient responses were recorded verbatim by trained research social workers. Qualitative data was analyzed using thematic analysis. RESULTS: The majority of adolescents who participated had not been previously asked about suicide (N = 101; 62.3%) and were supportive of suicide risk screening (81.0%). Five salient themes emerged from the qualitative analysis of patient opinions: prevention, elevated risk, emotional benefits, provider responsibility, and lack of harm in asking. CONCLUSIONS: The majority of youth screened for suicide risk on medical inpatient units were supportive of suicide risk screening. Opinion data have the potential to inform screening practices and assure clinicians that suicide risk screening will be acceptable to pediatric patients and their parents. Given the lack of screening in these patients' past experiences, the medical setting is a unique opportunity to capture youth at risk for suicide.
OBJECTIVE: To describe opinions about suicide risk screening in a pediatric medical inpatient sample. STUDY DESIGN: As part of a larger instrument validation study, 200 pediatric medical inpatients (ages 10-21 years) were screened for suicide risk. Participants completed demographic self-report forms and were asked their opinions about suicide risk screening. Patient responses were recorded verbatim by trained research social workers. Qualitative data was analyzed using thematic analysis. RESULTS: The majority of adolescents who participated had not been previously asked about suicide (N = 101; 62.3%) and were supportive of suicide risk screening (81.0%). Five salient themes emerged from the qualitative analysis of patient opinions: prevention, elevated risk, emotional benefits, provider responsibility, and lack of harm in asking. CONCLUSIONS: The majority of youth screened for suicide risk on medical inpatient units were supportive of suicide risk screening. Opinion data have the potential to inform screening practices and assure clinicians that suicide risk screening will be acceptable to pediatric patients and their parents. Given the lack of screening in these patients' past experiences, the medical setting is a unique opportunity to capture youth at risk for suicide.
Authors: Lisa M Horowitz; Elizabeth A Wharff; Annabelle M Mournet; Abigail M Ross; Sandra McBee-Strayer; Jian-Ping He; Elizabeth C Lanzillo; Erina White; Emory Bergdoll; Daniel S Powell; Martine Solages; Kathleen R Merikangas; Maryland Pao; Jeffrey A Bridge Journal: Hosp Pediatr Date: 2020-09
Authors: Lisa M Horowitz; Jeffrey A Bridge; Mary V Tipton; Ted Abernathy; Annabelle M Mournet; Deborah J Snyder; Elizabeth C Lanzillo; Daniel Powell; Michael Schoenbaum; Khyati Brahmbhatt; Maryland Pao Journal: Acad Pediatr Date: 2022-03 Impact factor: 3.107
Authors: Stephanie K Doupnik; John Lawlor; Bonnie T Zima; Tumaini R Coker; Naomi S Bardach; Matt Hall; Jay G Berry Journal: Pediatrics Date: 2016-11-11 Impact factor: 7.124
Authors: Khyati Brahmbhatt; Brian P Kurtz; Khalid I Afzal; Lisa L Giles; Elizabeth D Kowal; Kyle P Johnson; Elizabeth Lanzillo; Maryland Pao; Sigita Plioplys; Lisa M Horowitz Journal: Psychosomatics Date: 2018-09-22 Impact factor: 2.386