Clinical Commander

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psych.suicidality.ed.core.v1

Suicidality — ED risk assessment and disposition

psychiatryacuteadultacutetransitionoutpatient

SAFETY-CRITICAL — Joint Commission NPSG.15.01.01 compliance dossier. New dossier authored 2026-05-13 in B.8 re-dispatch. Owns ED-setting acute suicidality assessment, containment, safety planning, admission disposition, AND post-discharge outpatient bridge (Zero Suicide / Caring Contacts cascade) after the 2026-05-14 depth-pass-1. Cross-references psych.depression.core.v1 for longitudinal MDD pharmacotherapy (no overlap; composes via sibling_differentiation and action_plan handoff). CRITICAL anti-pattern warnings baked in: do NOT discharge active SI with plan + means + refusal; do NOT use no-suicide contracts as sole intervention (APA 2016 explicit); do NOT initiate SSRI in ED for known/suspected bipolar; do NOT initiate benzodiazepine acutely in suicidal patient (disinhibition risk). Stanley-Brown Safety Planning Intervention 6 steps encoded in action_plan; printable patient handout template referenced (psych-safety-plan.template.ts) but generator integration pending. Lethal means restriction is the single highest-impact intervention (UK paracetamol pack-size — Hawton BMJ 2013 PMID 23386268; firearm 3–5× US household-suicide risk — Anglemyer Ann Intern Med 2014 PMID 24492417; Yip Lancet 2012 PMID 22726520 systematic review). Caring Contacts 24 h / 72 h / 1 week call cascade post-discharge is evidence-based for completed-suicide reduction (Motto Psychiatr Serv 2001 PMID 11433109 — 2-yr suicide death halved; Stanley/Brown JAMA Psychiatry 2018 PMID 30209345 — SPI + 2-call follow-up cuts 6-mo suicidal behavior 45%). PRODUCTION blockers: (1) calc.cssrs not in calc-registry, (2) RxCUIs need RxNav validation, (3) targeted test file pending, (4) several bridge atoms (1:1, ligature-safe, stanley_brown_safety_plan, means_restriction_counseling, involuntary_hold_evaluation) referenced as inline non_drug actions rather than registered workups — promote when registry adds these atoms. HUMAN REVIEW: thresholds and anti-pattern warnings reviewed against APA 2003 + 2016 + APA 2025 + Joint Commission NPSG.15.01.01 + ED-SAFE + Zero Suicide; no clinical threshold lowered vs prior content in psych.depression.core.v1; no outpatient management of high-risk SI introduced — outpatient playbook is bridge-only (Zero Suicide framework), with explicit escalation triggers back to ED. Deepened 2026-05-14 (shard-5-obped-id depth-pass-1): added co-located _briefs/psych.suicidality.ed.core.v1.depth.md companion brief (complement, did not overwrite the 2026-05-13 original brief) + co-located _research-bundles/psych.suicidality.ed.core.v1.md. Promoted ED-SAFE (PMID 28245301) and Stanley/Brown 2018 JAMA Psychiatry RCT (PMID 30209345) into evidence.pmids (7 → 9 PMIDs). Bumped last_reconciled 2026-05-13 → 2026-05-14. Deepened 2026-05-14: added outpatient setting playbook (Zero Suicide bridge appointment ≤ 1 wk + Stanley-Brown SPI reinforcement + lethal-means restriction confirmation + Caring Contacts 24 h / 72 h / 1 wk cascade + ASIST / CALM referral + family/support engagement). settings: array expanded acute|transition → acute|transition|outpatient. Deepened 2026-05-14: added severity_triggers (3 new of 9 total): recent_attempt_within_72h (severe — past-72h-attempt LR+ ≈ 8 for 30-day repeat; admission default unless attending attestation + bridge ≤ 1 wk); elopement_risk (severe — flight risk → 1:1 + locked psych ED + voluntary→involuntary escalation); failed_outpatient_safety_planning (severe — patient declines safety plan / means restriction at bridge → ED same-day, strengthens admission rationale). Phenotype matrix (ideation × method × plan × intent × access-to-means × prior-attempt × precipitating-substance × host × setting) is encoded indirectly via severity_triggers + setting_playbooks + sibling_differentiation. First-class TS field for phenotype matrix is schema-blocked — see docs/framework-audit/shard-5-obped-id-state.md Schema-blocked queue. Bayesian linkage (pre-test 30-day repeat-attempt probability ≈ 8% in ED-screened-positive cohort per Boudreaux 28245301; C-SSRS Ideation 5 + method-access LR+ ≈ 10; past-72-h attempt LR+ ≈ 8; firearm-in-home in active SI LR+ ≈ 4 for completed suicide per Anglemyer 24492417; SPI + 2-call follow-up OR 0.56 over 6 mo per Stanley/Brown 30209345; ED-SAFE bundle RR 0.72 over 12 mo per Boudreaux 28245301; T_admit ~ 30% or hard imminent-risk triggers; T_discharge < 5% with all bridge conditions met) is documented in the co-located _research-bundles/psych.suicidality.ed.core.v1.md. ROS/DDx LR seed data audited by npm run audit:ros-ddx-coverage (cross-cutting; not touched by this shard). Prehospital (EMS) recognition is currently encoded informally via the outpatient → ED transition; a first-class "prehospital" DossierSetting value is schema-blocked.

Entry points (7)

  • symptom
    Suicidal ideation (passive or active) on presentation or screening (Posner 2011 PMID 22193671; Joint Commission NPSG 2024)
    suicidal_ideation
  • symptom
    Recent suicide attempt — overdose, lacerations, hanging, firearm, other method (APA 2003 PMID 14627059; VA/DoD 2019)
    recent_suicide_attempt
  • symptom
    Recent self-harm behavior with or without suicidal intent (Posner 2011 PMID 22193671)
    self_harm_behavior
  • lab_abnormality
    PHQ-9 item 9 score ≥1 on routine screening (any setting) (Kroenke JGIM 2001)
    positive_phq9_item9
  • history
    Recent psychiatric discharge <30 days — highest-risk period (VA/DoD 2019; Joint Commission NPSG 2024)
    recent_psychiatric_discharge
  • history
    Patient or family report of hopelessness, giving-away-possessions, finalising-affairs behavior (APA 2003 PMID 14627059)
    expressed_hopelessness
  • problem_list
    Known MDD / bipolar / schizophrenia / borderline PD / PTSD / SUD with acute decompensation (APA 2003 PMID 14627059; VA/DoD 2019)
    psychiatric_diagnosis_with_risk

Required inputs (21)

  • agerequired
    demographic • used at CONTEXT
    Adolescent (<18) has different disposition pathway + family/guardian involvement; geriatric (>65) has higher completed-suicide rate (especially older white men) (APA 2003 PMID 14627059; VA/DoD 2019)
  • cssrs_ideationrequired
    symptom • used at RISK_STRATIFICATION
    C-SSRS Ideation 1–5 — wish to be dead → active SI with plan and intent; drives disposition (Posner 2011 PMID 22193671)
  • cssrs_behaviorrequired
    symptom • used at RISK_STRATIFICATION
    C-SSRS Behavior — actual attempt, interrupted attempt, aborted attempt, preparatory acts, NSSI; recent attempt is #1 predictor of completed suicide (Posner 2011 PMID 22193671; APA 2003 PMID 14627059)
  • plan_specificityrequired
    history • used at RISK_STRATIFICATION
    Specific method + time + place increases acuity; vague ideation differs from concrete plan (APA 2003 PMID 14627059)
  • access_to_meansrequired
    history • used at RED_FLAGS
    Firearms (3–5× suicide risk), large-quantity meds, vehicle, height access; means restriction is the single most effective intervention (VA/DoD 2019; Yip Lancet 2012)
  • stated_intentrequired
    history • used at RISK_STRATIFICATION
    Stated intent to act vs ideation only — explicit ask: "Do you intend to act on these?" Refusal to deny intent is itself concerning (APA 2003 PMID 14627059; VA/DoD 2019)
  • prior_attemptsrequired
    history • used at CONTEXT
    Lifetime attempts + recency; first 90 days post-attempt is highest-risk; ≥1 attempt in past year = high acuity (APA 2003 PMID 14627059; VA/DoD 2019)
  • family_history_suicide
    history • used at CONTEXT
    Familial loading — first-degree relative completed suicide elevates risk (APA 2003 PMID 14627059)
  • protective_factorsrequired
    history • used at CONTEXT
    Children at home, religious objection, future-oriented goals, reasons-for-living list — mitigators in shared-decision admission discussion (Stanley-Brown 2012 PMID 22642958; APA 2003 PMID 14627059)
  • substance_use_acuterequired
    history • used at CONTEXT
    Acute intoxication confounds assessment — must re-assess after clearance; chronic SUD elevates baseline risk (VA/DoD 2019; APA 2003 PMID 14627059)
  • psychiatric_diagnosisrequired
    history • used at CONTEXT
    MDD / bipolar / schizophrenia / PTSD / borderline PD / SUD — drives concurrent treatment plan + sibling dossier handoff (APA 2003 PMID 14627059)
  • recent_stressors
    history • used at CONTEXT
    Loss (death, divorce, job, financial, legal), relational rupture, anniversary of past loss (APA 2003 PMID 14627059)
  • social_supportsrequired
    history • used at CONTEXT
    Isolated patient is higher-risk for discharge; supports must be specifically engageable for safety plan (Stanley-Brown 2012 PMID 22642958; VA/DoD 2019)
  • current_medsrequired
    medication • used at CONTEXT
    Medication review for QT-prolonging agents (if antipsychotic planned), acetaminophen large supply (overdose substrate), stockpile of any med (VA/DoD 2019; APA 2003 PMID 14627059)
  • tox_screen_alcoholrequired
    lab • used at INITIAL_WORKUP
    Acute intoxication common; reassessment after clearance required before disposition (VA/DoD 2019; Joint Commission NPSG 2024)
  • apap_asa_level
    lab • used at INITIAL_WORKUP
    If overdose attempt — Rumack-Matthew nomogram for APAP; salicylate level for ASA toxicity (APA 2003 PMID 14627059)
  • cbc_bmp_glucoserequired
    lab • used at INITIAL_WORKUP
    Medical clearance — rule out organic delirium / hypoglycemia / electrolyte cause of altered mental state (Joint Commission NPSG 2024)
  • tsh
    lab • used at INITIAL_WORKUP
    Hypothyroidism mimics depression and irritability — baseline for any new antidepressant (APA 2003 PMID 14627059)
  • hcg
    lab • used at INITIAL_WORKUP
    Women of childbearing age — affects medication choice + autonomy considerations (APA 2003 PMID 14627059)
  • ecg
    imaging • used at INITIAL_WORKUP
    QTc baseline if antipsychotic planned for agitation or as bridge (APA 2003 PMID 14627059)
  • ct_head
    imaging • used at BRANCHING_WORKUP
    If altered mental state with trauma signs / focal neuro findings / first-onset late-life psychosis with SI (APA 2003 PMID 14627059)

12-phase flow (12)

  1. 1FRAME
    Acute (ED setting) presentation of suicidal ideation or behavior; objective is risk stratification → safety planning → disposition, NOT initiation of longitudinal antidepressant therapy (APA 2003 PMID 14627059; Joint Commission NPSG 2024)
    advance: ED context confirmed
  2. 2ENTRY
    Trigger from explicit SI report, witnessed/reported recent attempt, PHQ-9 item 9 ≥1, family or third-party concern, recent psychiatric discharge presenting in crisis (Posner 2011 PMID 22193671; Joint Commission NPSG 2024)
    inputs: age
    advance: Entry criteria documented
  3. 3CONTEXT
    Psychiatric diagnosis, substance use (acute + chronic), prior attempts (lifetime + recent), family history, recent stressors, social supports, current medications, access to firearms (always ask, always document) (APA 2003 PMID 14627059; VA/DoD 2019)
    inputs: psychiatric_diagnosis, prior_attempts, substance_use_acute, social_supports, protective_factors, current_meds
    advance: Risk + protective factors captured
  4. 4RED_FLAGS
    Imminent risk: active SI with plan + intent + means; recent attempt within 90 days; psychotic features with command hallucinations; severe agitation; refusal of safety planning; intoxicated with stated plan; postpartum psychosis with infanticidal ideation (APA 2003 PMID 14627059; VA/DoD 2019; Joint Commission NPSG 2024)
    inputs: cssrs_ideation, cssrs_behavior, access_to_means, stated_intent
    actions: workup.1to1_observation, workup.ligature_safe_environment, workup.means_search
    advance: Containment in place AND admission decision being made
  5. 5INITIAL_WORKUP
    Medical clearance — CBC, BMP, glucose, tox screen, alcohol level; APAP/ASA if overdose; β-hCG; TSH if any new antidepressant contemplated; ECG if antipsychotic planned (Joint Commission NPSG 2024; APA 2003 PMID 14627059)
    inputs: tox_screen_alcohol, cbc_bmp_glucose
    advance: Medical contributors excluded or treated
  6. 6BRANCHING_WORKUP
    CT head if altered + trauma or focal findings; LP if febrile altered; specific overdose workup per substance (APAP, ASA, TCA, lithium, ethylene glycol); EKG-monitored psych observation if intoxicated (APA 2003 PMID 14627059)
    advance: Targeted workup obtained when triggered
  7. 7DIFFERENTIAL
    Genuine SI vs delirium with paranoid ideation vs dementia with disinhibited statements vs intoxication-driven impulsivity (re-assess sober) vs communication request without intent (especially adolescents) vs malingering (rare — never primary assumption) (APA 2003 PMID 14627059; VA/DoD 2019)
    advance: Working differential assigned
  8. 8RISK_STRATIFICATION
    C-SSRS Ideation (1–5) + Behavior; chronic vs acute; static (history, demographic) vs dynamic (current state); protective factors; access to means; supports (Posner 2011 PMID 22193671; APA 2003 PMID 14627059)
    inputs: cssrs_ideation, cssrs_behavior, plan_specificity, stated_intent, access_to_means, protective_factors
    advance: Acuity tier (imminent / high / moderate / low) assigned AND documented basis recorded
  9. 9TREATMENT
    Acute containment (1:1 sitter, ligature-safe, means removal); safety planning (Stanley-Brown SPI 6-step); means restriction counseling; pharmacotherapy adjuncts only for proven SI reduction (lithium, clozapine, esketamine for select cases) — NOT initiation of new SSRI in ED for active SI (Stanley-Brown 2012 PMID 22642958; APA 2003 PMID 14627059; VA/DoD 2019)
    advance: Safety plan written and patient + family informed; pharmacotherapy decisions deferred to admitting team
  10. 10DISPOSITION
    Voluntary inpatient psych (preferred); involuntary hold if imminent risk + refusal; PHP/IOP next-day for low-moderate with intact supports + safety plan; discharge home WITH safety plan + means restriction + 24–72h follow-up + family/support engagement IF passive SI without plan/intent AND no recent attempt AND means restriction confirmed AND clinician confidence (APA 2003 PMID 14627059; VA/DoD 2019; Stanley JAMA Psychiatry 2018 PMID 29387873)
    advance: Disposition documented with explicit basis (especially for involuntary or discharge)
  11. 11MONITORING
    Continuous observation while active SI in ED; re-assess C-SSRS q1–2h; vitals q1h if intoxicated; mental status q1–2h; on admission, q15-minute checks initially (Joint Commission NPSG 2024; Posner 2011 PMID 22193671)
    advance: Admit handoff or discharge complete
  12. 12FOLLOWUP
    For discharged patients — 24–72 h outpatient appointment confirmed before leaving ED; safety plan printed and given; 988 + local crisis line numbers; means restriction agreement signed with patient + family; follow-up call from ED social work within 48–72 h (Stanley JAMA Psychiatry 2018 PMID 29387873; SAMHSA TIP 50 2015)
    advance: Handoff complete