what is suicidal ideation scale

A suicidal ideation scale is a clinical tool used to assess a persons risk of committing suicide. It includes a series of questions to measure a person’s suicidal thoughts, risk factors, and sometimes protective factors. The scale aids healthcare providers in recognizing signs that someone is likely to self-injure, which helps in timely intervention and treatment. Suicidal ideation scales include questions about a person’s thoughts, attitudes, and desire to commit suicide. Examples of suicidal ideation scales include the Beck Scale for Suicide Ideation (BSSI), Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS), Suicide Assessment Five-Step Evaluation and Triage (SAFE-T), and Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ9) . The Suicidal Ideation Attributes Scale (SIDAS) is another example of a suicidal ideation scale that is designed to screen individuals in the community for the presence of suicidal thoughts and assess the severity of these thoughts. Responses to the SIDAS are measured on a 10-point scale, and a higher total score reflects more severe suicidal thoughts.