Screening to Identify Groups of Pediatric Emergency Department Patients Using Latent Class Analysis of Reported Suicidal Ideation and Behavior and Non-Suicidal Self-Injury

Abstract

Latent class analysis of medical records data from 3,523 emergency department (ED) patients (ages 14–24; 31% Caucasian; 67% female) distinguished 6 groups with varying histories of suicidal ideation and behavior based on items endorsed on the Behavioral Health Screen, a web based, nurse-initiated screening tool. As expected, the more severe suicidality groups reported higher levels of depressive symptoms, traumatic distress, and substance abuse symptoms. Findings support the validity of the BHS and its utility as a medical decision tool to help ED staff evaluate the severity of patients’ suicidality.

Keywords:

• adolescent health
• behavioral symptoms
• screening
• self-injurious behavior
• suicide

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

We thank all the participating medical providers and patients who taught us so much about how to integrate MH services into a medical setting.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Joanna Herres

Joanna Herres, Department of Psychology, The College of New Jersey, Ewing, New Jersey, USA.

Tamar Kodish

Tamar Kodish, Department of Psychology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA.

Joel Fein

Joel Fein, Department of Psychiatry, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.

Guy Diamond

Guy Diamond, Department of Couple and Family Therapy, Drexel University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.