Document Suicide Risk Evaluation Using the Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale

The Columbia Suicide Severity Risk Scale (C-SSRS) screening tool is part of the NextGen Behavioral Health Suite workflow. Developed by researchers at Columbia University, University of Pennsylvania, University of Pittsburgh, and New York University, the C-SSRS is designed to assess suicidal ideation and behavior. It rates the severity of suicidal ideation on a scale from "wish to be dead" to "active suicidal ideation with specific plan and intent and behaviors." Questions are phrased for use in an interview format, but the C-SSRS can also be completed as a self-report measure if necessary. The scale identifies behaviors that may indicate an individual's intent to complete suicide. An individual exhibiting even a single behavior identified by the scale was 8 to 10 times more likely to complete suicide.