As suicides rates rise globally — now the third-leading cause of death worldwide among those 15 to 29 — some experts say asking patients about suicidal thoughts is not sufficient to assess near-term risk. Instead, researchers have identified a pattern of symptoms known as suicide crisis syndrome, which may help predict imminent risk regardless of self-reported intent, according to a Nov. 19 report from The New York Times.
Here are five notes:
- Diagnosis of suicide crisis syndrome is based on clinical symptoms rather than patient disclosure of suicidal intent, which researchers say may help identify risks not captured by traditional screening methods.
- One literature review found that approximately half of people who died by suicide had denied suicidal ideation in the week or month prior to their death.
- Diagnostic criteria include a sense of entrapment in an intolerable situation, emotional distress, anxiety, insomnia, rumination and recent social withdrawal. Researchers report that individuals experiencing suicide crisis syndrome may have difficulty concentrating or controlling their thoughts, according to the Times.
- Health systems in the U.S., Israel and Norway have implemented suicide crisis syndrome assessments. A 2024 study found that emergency room patients who were diagnosed with the syndrome and admitted to the hospital with moderate to severe suicidal ideation were about 75% less likely to be readmitted to the hospital than patients with the same level of suicidal ideation.
- An application to include the syndrome in the “Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition” has been submitted, but review and approval can take years. Some clinicians have raised concerns about classification, stigma and implications for clinical use, according to the Times.
