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.
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.