Evidence-based assessment/Instruments/Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale

The Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale, or C-SSRS, is a suicidal ideation rating scale created by researchers at Columbia University to evaluate suicidality in children ages 12 and up. It rates an individual's degree of suicidal ideation on a scale, ranging from "wish to be dead" to "active suicidal ideation with specific plan and intent." Questions are phrased for use in an interview format, but the C-SSRS may be completed as a self-report measure if necessary. The scale identifies behaviors which may be indicative of an individual's intent to commit suicide. An individual exhibiting even a single behavior identified by the scale was 8 to 10 times more likely to commit suicide.

The "Lifetime/Recent version allows practitioners to gather lifetime history of suicidality as well as any recent suicidal ideation and/or behavior." The "Since Last Visit version of the scale assesses suicidality since the patient’s last visit." The "Screener version of the C-SSRS is a truncated form of the Full Version" designed for "first responders, in ER settings and crisis call centers, for non-mental health users like teachers or clergy or in situations where frequent monitoring is required." The "Risk Assessment Page provides a checklist for protective and risk factors for suicidality."

Scoring and interpretation
This measure contains 6 "yes" or "no" questions in which respondents are asked to indicate whether they have experienced several thoughts or feelings relating to suicide over the past month. Each question addresses a different component of the respondent's suicide ideation severity. Comprehensive scoring information is only available to trained and certified administrators, but an answer of "yes" to any of the six questions may indicate a need for referral to a trained mental health professional.
 * Question 1: desire to be dead
 * Question 2: suicidal thoughts
 * Questions 3-5: more specific suicidal thoughts and intent
 * Question 6: suicidal behavior over the respondent’s lifetime
 * If the respondent answers "yes" to Question 2, he/she is instructed to answer Questions 3-5. If the respondent answers "no" to Question 2, he/she may skip to Question 6.