Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale Documentation

Document administration of the C-SSRS, record suicide risk screening responses, assign a risk level, and capture required follow-up actions.

Encounter Details

• Screening date
• Screening time
• Screening setting
• Screening method
• Clinician or screener name

C-SSRS Ideation Severity

• In the past month, have you wished you were dead or wished you could go to sleep and not wake up?
• In the past month, have you actually had any thoughts of killing yourself?
• Have you been thinking about how you might do this?
• Have you had these thoughts and had some intention of acting on them?
• Have you started to work out or worked out the details of how to kill yourself and intend to carry out this plan?
• Highest ideation severity level

Suicidal Behavior and History

• Has the person ever engaged in suicidal behavior or preparatory acts?
• Any suicidal behavior or interrupted/aborted attempt in the past 3 months?
• Behavior type
• Most recent behavior date
• Behavior notes
  Document only clinically relevant details needed for risk assessment and follow-up.

Risk Factors and Protective Factors

• Current acute risk factors
• Protective factors
• Access to lethal means
• Clinical summary
  Briefly summarize the factors supporting the risk formulation.

Risk Level and Required Actions

• Overall risk level
• Immediate action taken
• Were emergency services contacted?
• Disposition
• Follow-up timeframe

Consent, Documentation, and Submission

• Consent to screening obtained
  Confirm that the purpose of the screening and any limits to confidentiality were explained before administration.
• Limits of confidentiality explained
• Patient informed of next steps
• Additional documentation notes
  Include only information necessary for clinical continuity, safety, and the audit trail.