Routinized categorization of suicide risk into actionable strata: Establishing the validity of an existing suicide risk assessment framework in an outpatient sample

• Published in: Journal of clinical psychology 2020-12, Vol.76 (12), p.2264-2282
• Main Authors: Gallyer, Austin J., Chu, Carol, Klein, Kelly M., Quintana, Jazmine, Carlton, Corinne, Dougherty, Sean P., Joiner, Thomas E.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: outpatient; risk; Risk assessment; suicidal ideation; suicide attempt; suicide risk assessment; Suicides & suicide attempts; Validity
• ISSN: 0021-9762; 1097-4679
• DOI: 10.1002/jclp.22994

Objective The Suicide Risk Assessment and Management Decision Tree (DT) is a clinician‐administered assessment that leads to risk categorizations that correspond with actionable strata. This study investigated the construct validity and test–retest reliability of the DT risk categories across two time points. Method Outpatients (N = 731) completed a battery of self‐report measures. Spearman's correlations were used to examine the relationships between DT suicide risk level and suicidal symptoms, theory‐based risk factors, psychiatric correlates, and DT suicide risk level at Timepoint 2. Correlations were analyzed for significant differences to examine the divergent validity of the DT. Results Results, overall, were in line with hypotheses, with the exception of depression and thwarted belongingness. Conclusions Findings provide evidence for the reliability, convergent validity, and discriminant validity of the DT. This clinician‐administered suicide risk assessment may be useful for standardization of the assessment and management of suicide risk in outpatient clinical settings.