65% Of Accredited U.S. Hospitals Conduct Universal Suicide Risk Screening

About 65% of accredited hospitals in the United States have implemented a suicide prevention framework that includes protocols for universal suicide screening and risk assessment for positive screens. This level of screening goes beyond the Joint Commission’s current National Patient Safety Goal that mandates suicide risk screening take place for people aged 12 and older with behavioral health concerns.

The status of hospital policies for suicide screening was assessed in a review of survey responses from 284 general/medical hospitals. Of these hospitals, all met the Joint Commission screening mandate for adolescents and adults with behavioral health concerns. The . . .