Crisis, Trauma, and Suicide Assessment Flashcards
7 cards from real Counseling practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Crisis, Trauma, and Suicide Assessment flashcards as text
The Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS) is primarily designed to assess which of the following?
Answer: Severity of suicidal ideation and the presence of suicidal behavior
The C-SSRS rates the severity and intensity of suicidal ideation and screens for actual, interrupted, aborted, and preparatory suicidal behavior.
According to Joiner's interpersonal theory of suicide, which combination is required for a lethal suicide attempt?
Answer: Thwarted belongingness, perceived burdensomeness, and acquired capability
Joiner proposed that the desire for suicide (belongingness and burdensomeness) must combine with an acquired capability for self-harm.
Which factor is generally considered the single strongest predictor of eventual death by suicide?
Answer: A prior suicide attempt
A history of a previous suicide attempt is the most robust single predictor of future suicide.
In the Stanley-Brown Safety Planning Intervention, what is the first step a counselor helps the client complete?
Answer: Identifying warning signs that a crisis may be developing
The safety plan begins with recognizing personal warning signs so the client knows when to use the rest of the plan.
A counselor relies on a signed no-suicide contract as the main evidence that a client is safe. What is the best evaluation of this practice?
Answer: It lacks empirical support and should not replace a thorough risk assessment
No-suicide contracts have not been shown to prevent suicide and can create false reassurance, so safety planning and assessment are preferred.
In the SAD PERSONS scale, the letter 'S' for sex reflects which finding?
Answer: Men die by suicide at higher rates than women, although women attempt more often
Males complete suicide more often, largely due to more lethal methods, while females make more attempts.
Which legal case established that mental health professionals may have a duty to protect identifiable third parties from a client's threatened violence?
Answer: Tarasoff v. Regents of the University of California
Tarasoff (1974, 1976) established the duty to warn and protect identifiable victims of a client's serious threat.