Most of the assessments utilized at my site are informal assessments such as observations, and conversations with parents and teachers (Stone & Dahir, 2016). More formal assessments that are used include the O*NET interest profile (U.S. Department of Labor, n.d.) and a suicide lethality assessment. I have included a copy of the suicide lethality assessment. What are some of the strengths and limitations (such as multicultural considerations) of this assessment? How are the results used at your school? The suicide lethality assessment has some strengths in that it identifies important suicide risk factors. The risk factors includes age, sex, stress, suicidal plan, feelings, behavioral changes, network, future outlook, perceived reactions
Suicide is a severe community health matter which can have lifelong negative consequences on individuals, families, and the society. Reduce suicidal risk factors and increase protective measures are the main objective of suicide prevention. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) defined suicide as the “death caused by self-directed injurious behavior with intent to die as a result of the behavior; suicide attempt is “A non-fatal, self-directed, potentially injurious behavior with an intent to die as a result of the behavior; might not result in injury’; and suicidal ideation is “thinking about, considering, or planning suicide” (2015).
The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) has published a fact sheet of statistics on suicide in the United States. In 2007, it is reported that suicide was the tenth leading cause of death. Furthermore, for every suicide committed, eleven were attempted. A total of 34,598 deaths occurred from suicide with an overall rate of 11.3 suicide deaths per 100,000 people. (NIMH, 2010). Risk factors were also noted on this report and listed “depression and other mental disorders, or a substance abuse disorder (often in combination with other mental disorders). More than ninety percent of people who die by suicide have these risk factors (NIMH, 2010).”
There are many models of risk assessment available to clinicians. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (NSPL, 2006) recommends assessment based on the individual’s desire to harm themselves or others. Additionally, the capability to attempt should involve the clients: past history of suicide attempts; violent behaviors; having the means; current substance abuse; loss of reality; extreme agitation, aggression or rage. Suicidal intent is reflected by: an attempt in progress; a known plan to carry out the suicide; preparatory behaviors.
A suicide assessment is essential for clients who have suicidal behavior (Ribeiro, Bodell, Hames, Hagan, & Joiner, 2013). A suicide risk assessment can be a vital step for prevention of suicidal behavior (Ribeiro, Bodell, Hames, Hagan, & Joiner, 2013). Suicide risk assessment is a crucial element in working with saddened clients and is the initial step in treating suicidal clients (Huh et al., 2012; Regehr, LeBlanc, Bogo, Paterson, & Birze, 2015). The risk of attempting or finalizing a suicide increases with the more signs or symptoms a client disclose (Kanel, 2015). Individuals usually give a sign or a warning before they commit suicide, but they may not openly say what their plan is or how they are feeling (Kanel, 2015).
Measuring suicide has developed significantly in the last few decades. Cases are reported more accurately than ever before, yet it is still described as one of the most complex public health concerns. There is no definite pathophysiological explanation of suicide yet, however other models and theories help to interpret the phenomena of this form of self-injury (Chang, 2011).
Suicide is the act of intentionally ending one's own life. According to the CDC (2015), suicide is the third leading cause of death among persons aged 10-14, the second among persons, aged 15-34 years, the fourth among persons aged 35-44 years, the fifth among persons aged 45-54 years, the eighth among person 55-64 years, and the seventeenth among persons 65 years and older. In the near future, I will be working as a social worker. As a social worker, I am more probable to have contact with clients who are at risk of suicide. Therefore, I ought to familiarize myself with the warning signs of suicide and appropriate responses. I am interested in Teen suicide since I have lost three relatives to suicide in less than 10 year period. The not knowing why a love took
such as hiring procedures, discrimination laws, hiring regulations, and privacy laws (Scott & Reynolds, 2010). The sixth step is to decide when and how cultural differences should influence assessment content, methods, and choices (Scott & Reynolds, 2010). For example, some groups may share similar values and beliefs, which could provide greater acceptance of some assessments, while other distinctions like culture (e.g. individualism and collectivism) could be potential concerns. The next step attempts to determine equivalency across various assessment tools by comparing translation quality, measurements, and support materials (Scott & Reynolds, 2010). The eighth and final step involves defining the types of evidence to support global effectiveness. Professional review of information used in assessments across cultures is needed to ensure appropriate language, techniques and formats, measurement equivalency, validity for populations, and consistency in all locations (Scott & Reynolds, 2010). Without proper review, important factors may go unnoticed until it is too late, which has the potential to derail a global assessment initiative of an
Evaluating student achievement through assessments is used to help teachers know exactly where students are. This practice is vital to the growth and development of a child. Good teachers have always judged and monitored their students' progress through written assessment observations, experiments, written assignments, and research projects. Assessments provide comprehensive information about students’ progress including strengths and weaknesses.
Lethality of suicide refers to the severity of biological damage or medical condition caused by the suicide attempt. Like suicide, lethality can be conceptualized along a continuum ranging from low lethality to high lethality and culminates in completed suicide. The lethality of a suicide plan or attempt is essential to the assessment of suicide risk and has been the focus of a large body of research exploring correlates that impact the severity of lethality and its impact on attempted and completed suicide.
The purpose of this article is to understand the impacts that certain mental disorders have on suicide attempts. Suicide is an epidemic not only in certain nations but around the globe. The research that was conducted here is to help people understand the effects of mental disorders on others. Knowledge is the key power needed to help eliminate such an epidemic. The more people aware of the effects will help save lives rather than creating more statistics.
2. Who? – Student and/or Teacher population for this Assessment? Who would give and use this Assessment?
Profile of the Participants in the Study with Reference to the Four Suicide Probability Scale (SPS) Categories
Suicide is a main source of death around the world and ranks among the three main causes of death among young adults aged between 15-45 years. Indeed, a response to this continuous worldwide issue, the World Health Organization called for the prevention of suicide (WHO, 2015). Several studies have evaluated some of the contributing factors, however, the connection between suicide and the evaluated factors is conclusively positive or negative.
Individuals should have an easy time completing this assessment. The format should prevent any inaccuracy in responses. The questions are written at a sixth-grade level. This could cause a problem for some individuals who can’t