ER Screens for Potential Victims.

• Position: YOUTH SUICIDE

The computerized adaptive screen for suicidal youth (CASSY) helps identify those at risk for attempting suicide. It consists of 11 questions on average and, in a National Institute of Mental Health study, correctly identified 82.4% of youth who went on to attempt suicide in the three months following screening. The results suggest this screener could serve as an easy-to-use way for providers to detect youth suicide risk in emergency department settings. "No young person should die by suicide, which is why we have made bending the curve in suicide rates a priority area of research," says Joshua A. Gordon, director of NIMH. 'The CASSY screener represents a very important advance in identifying those adolescents who are at risk for suicide, so they can be connected with the critical support services they need." Suicide rates for adolescents have risen over the past two decades. In 2019, 1,580 adolescents between the ages of 12 and 17 died by suicide, which is a rate of 6.3 per 100,-000, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Since approximately 40% of adolescents who die by suicide have been treated for a mental health concern, it is important to screen broadly for...