NCJ Number
180742
Journal
Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Volume: 38 Issue: 12 Dated: December 1999 Pages: 1506-1514
Date Published
December 1999
Length
9 pages
Annotation
This paper reports on a study that examined the validity of the Suicide Risk Screen (SRS) for identifying suicide-risk youths among potential high school dropouts.
Abstract
A total of 581 potential dropouts, aged 14 to 20 years, participated in a three-stage case identification protocol. A potential dropout pool was created in seven schools; students, randomly selected, completed a questionnaire that contained the SRS and participated in an assessment interview. Validity measures included Reynolds' Suicide Ideation Questionnaire (SIQ-JR) and two clinician rating scales, the Direct Suicide Risk (DIR), and Clinical Risk Assessment (CA). Findings show that suicide-risk severity was significantly associated with categorization defined by the SRS criteria. SRS sensitivity ranged from 87 percent to 100 percent and specificity from 54 percent to 60 percent. Of seven SRS elements, depression, suicidal ideation, and suicide threats predicted all validity measures. Suicide attempts predicted the DIR and CA, but not Reynolds' SIQ-JR. Drug involvement, though relatively weaker, consistently predicted all validity measures. No additional psychosocial indicators improved the prediction of SIQ-JR or the DIR. Family support, likelihood of dropout, and risky behaviors, however, were additional predictors of the CA ratings. The study concludes that the SRS is an effective and pragmatic method for identifying suicide-risk youths among potential dropouts in school settings. 3 tables, 2 figures, and 23 references