NU 671 Unit 1 Clinical Preparation Tool: Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS)

671:Unit 1 Clinical Preparation Tool Assignment

Instrument: The Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS).

https://cssrs.columbia.edu/ (link to the tool)

Articles: Calculated Decisions: Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS); About the C-SSRS.

Appropriateness for Dx:

C-SSRS is used to identify and assess individuals at risk for suicide. It is employed in suicide risk assessment initial screening to guide and help clinicians and patients stratify the risk of suicidal rate (Salvi, 2019). The tool cannot replace a complete clinical suicidal evaluation but may be employed in initial screening of suicide rate.

Response to Therapy/Treatment:

C-SSRS tool is strictly used for assessment and diagnosis. It is effective in predicting overall suicidal risk and need for admission in patients within the emergency department. The tool has been recommended for clinical trials by the United States Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) since 2012 and adopted by the CDC to determine suicidal ideation and behavior (Salv, 2019).

Psychometrics:

C-SSRS measures four constructs: the lethality, behavior, intensity and severity of suicide ideation. It has ten categories with binary responses that measure and output a numerical score, used to evaluate the presence/absence of a suicidal behavior. The Category 1– assess the wish to be dead; category 2– active and non-specific suicidal thought; category 3- active and specific suicidal ideation without action plan; 4-active and specific ideation with action plan; 5-active and specific ideation with action plan and intent; 6-preparatory act; 7-aborted attempt; 8-interrupted attempt; 9-actual attempt; 10-completed attempt (CDP, n.d.). Once the results are captured, they are interpreted in a categorical scale with the help of a clinical assessment tool.

Importantly, C-SSRS has been used in numerous trials and extensively validated in several populations, including outpatients in psychiatry clinics (Salvi, 2019).

Limitations:

C-SSRS has ambiguous wordings, flawed navigation instructions, and can likely fail to determine a combination of diverse suicidal ideation and behavior (Salvi, 2019).

References

Center for Deployment Psychology (CDP). About the C-SSRE. https://deploymentpsych.org/system/files/member_resource/C-SSRS%20Factsheet.pdf

Salvi J. (2019). Calculated Decisions: Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS). Emergency medicine practice , 21 (5), CD3–CD4.

671:Unit 1 Clinical Preparation Tool Assignment – The Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS)

Instructions

Topic: Suicidal Ideation

Suicide Assessment C-SSRS

The Columbia Lighthouse Project. (2016). Identify risk. Prevent suicide (Links to an external site.). https://cssrs.columbia.edu/

For this week utilize the tool listed above to complete the assignment.

Overview

As you will learn throughout the program, the diagnosis of a variety of psychiatric illnesses is not always an easy or straightforward process. Multiple observations and assessment methods are often employed to reach a diagnosis. This approach can include the use of standardized assessment instruments.  This then aids you in defining a treatment plan and choosing specific treatment plans to use in the care of your clients. 

You are tasked with identifying a standardized assessment instrument/tool to measure the disorders listed for each week. You will keep these instruments in the form of a “portfolio” that you can use in your clinical practice to assess clients who present with a variety of symptoms. 

Instructions: 

Instrument/ Tool criteria: 

For each assessment, you are tasked with selecting, you will identify an instrument and: 

List what DSM diagnosis the tool/instrument is used for.

Identify an assessment/diagnosis instrument.

Appraise a scholarly, peer-reviewed article that addresses the use of the instrument to support your choice as an evidence-based instrument for practice. 

Evaluate the instrument’s appropriateness for diagnosing the condition it is designed to assess or if the developers of the instrument reported that the instrument is only part of a comprehensive assessment for the disorder. 

Describe whether or not the instrument can be used to measure patient response to therapy/treatment or if it is strictly for assessment and diagnosis. 

Discuss the psychometrics/scoring of the instrument, including reliability and validity. 

Discuss any limitations associated with the use of the instrument.

Include a link to view the assessment if possible.

 Use the following template in completing your portfolio assignments. Your information can be in a bulleted format or just a couple of sentences for each criterion listed above. However, you must use APA citations.  You are NOT required to write this in a paper format.  Turn in one document for each week’s topics.  (However, create a file on your desktop to compile your portfolio as you move through the term.)  This will ensure you can have easy access to show the full portfolio and once you begin clinicals and practice. Throughout the program, you will continue to add to the portfolio in each course. 671:Unit 1 Clinical Preparation Tool Assignment – The Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS)