1. Assessing Suicide Risk
Milwaukee Police Department
Crisis Intervention Team

2. Assessing Suicide Risk: High Risk - Depression
Depression for 2 or more weeks
History of past severe depression
Physical Symptoms of depression including: trouble sleeping, appetite, concentration, social contact, general functioning
School or job performance problems
Strong family history of depression/mental illness

3. Assessing Suicide Risk: Lower risk - depression
No symptoms, brief symptoms, or symptoms related to a specific situation (criminal charges, relationship problems, etc)
No physical symptoms or only minor symptoms
Actively involved with a therapist or doctor
Only minor disturbance of general functioning
On medications or willing to accept help
Minimal or no family history of depression/mental illness

4. Suicide Plan or Attempt: Higher Risk
Potential lethal attempt. Requiring medical attention, attempt was thought out or planned.
Subject had intent to die
Suicide note indicating to die
Specific plan- lethal potential of plans
No obvious secondary gains from attempt
Attempt was concealed
Subject did not want intervention
History of suicide of close family or friends.

5. Suicide plan or attempt: Lower risk
No injury or superficial injury
No specific death wish, but desire to escape or influence
Suicide statements without plan or vague plan
Secondary gains (support, sympathy, avoiding problems)
Clear desire to manipulate
Subject notified someone of attempt
Made suicide gesture in front of others
No history
Impulsive act
No planning for death
Not influenced by others’ suicide.

6. Alcohol/Drug Abuse Issues: Higher Risk
Intoxicated or influenced by alcohol/drug use
Recent history of drug and/or alcohol problems

7. Alcohol/Drug Abuse Issues: Lower Risk
Sober
No problems with AODA

8. Thought Process: Higher Risk
Psychotic: presence of hallucinations or delusions; nonsensical or incoherent speech; poor reality testing; judgment impaired to the extent that it’s unlikely they can maintain their own safety
Recent bizarre or unpredictable behavior
History of psychiatric problems or hospitalization

9. Thought Process: Lower risk
Logical or coherent thought process
No hallucinations or delusions
Appears competent and capable of using good judgment
Speech makes sense
No unusual behaviors

10. Mood/Presentation: Higher Risk
Depressed: “washed out” helpless to influence
Positive changes, feels hopeless about the future
Anxious/panicky
Angry
Guilty
Volatile mood swings

11. Mood/Presentation Lower Risk
Subject feels like they have some control over their situation
Stable mood
Has future orientation
Calm
Positive self image

12. Personality Type: Higher Risk
“Hot headed” …or…
“too calm and collected”
History of violence
Impulsive
Needs to be in control

13. Personality type: Lower risk
Calm
Rational
Thinks before acting

14. Current Stresses: Higher risk
Recent severe loss (relationship, job, financial)
Chronic health problems or pain

15. Current Stresses: Lower Risk
No severe loss or dramatic changes
Self esteem intact
Healthy

16. Available Resources: Higher Risk
Lives alone
Socially isolated
Not well integrated with family, peers, and/or recent withdrawal from usual social interaction(s).

17. Available resources: Lower Risk
Has a caring person available to them now
Involved with family, friends, church or social group

18. Demographical Risk Factors: Higher risk
Male
Older (55+)
Caucasian
Native American

19. Demographical Risk Factors: lower risk
Female
Younger
African American

20. Case Studies: Assessing risk