Treatment outcomes after screening positive for suicidal ideation in United States military veterans

Abstract

Suicidal ideation is a significant risk factor for suicidal behaviors, precipitating increased levels of clinical assessment and concern. The purpose of the current study was to determine if screening positive for ideation significantly predicted treatment outcomes in a non-VHA veteran population. Participants were military veterans seen at a Cohen Veterans Network clinic between January 1, 2016, and December 31, 2021. Of 12,178 episodes of care, 673 (5.5%) were positive screens (moderate or high risk on the C-SSRS) and 234 (1.9%) were high risk. Overall, a positive screen was not a significant predictor of the reason for discharge or whether it was planned or unplanned. However, meeting the criteria for being high risk was associated with negative treatment outcomes in terms of the reason for discharge and the planned or unplanned nature of the discharge. These findings emphasize the significance of stratifying suicide risk as well as the advantages of routinely gathering data on reasons for client discharge.

Keywords: Screening; Suicide; Treatment outcomes; Veterans.