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Sub-Category:

Acute Psychiatric Crises

Number of Conditions: 1

Suicidal Ideation and Attempts

Specialty: Emergency and Urgent Care

Category: Psychiatric and Behavioral Emergencies

Sub-category: Acute Psychiatric Crises

Symptoms:
expressions of wanting to die or kill oneself; planning or attempting suicide; withdrawing from loved ones; mood swings; hopelessness; preparing wills or giving away belongings

Root Cause:
Often related to severe depression, anxiety, substance abuse, trauma, or psychiatric conditions such as bipolar disorder or schizophrenia.

How it's Diagnosed: videos
Clinical evaluation through direct questioning, psychological assessment, and risk evaluation using tools like the Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS).

Treatment:
Immediate safety measures (e.g., hospitalization), psychotherapy (e.g., cognitive behavioral therapy, dialectical behavior therapy), crisis intervention, and addressing underlying psychiatric disorders.

Medications:
Antidepressants (e.g., SSRIs like sertraline or fluoxetine ), mood stabilizers (e.g., lithium ), antipsychotics (e.g., olanzapine or risperidone ), and sedatives (e.g., benzodiazepines) for acute agitation.

Prevalence: How common the health condition is within a specific population.
Affects approximately 4.6% of individuals annually in the U.S., with higher prevalence in adolescents and young adults.

Risk Factors: Factors or behaviors that increase the likelihood of developing the condition.
History of mental illness, previous suicide attempts, family history of suicide, substance abuse, major life stressors, social isolation, chronic illness.

Prognosis: The expected outcome or course of the condition over time.
With timely intervention, individuals can recover and lead fulfilling lives, but ongoing support and monitoring are crucial to prevent recurrence.

Complications: Additional problems or conditions that may arise as a result of the original condition.
Risk of completed suicide, long-term psychiatric sequelae, injury from attempts, impact on loved ones.