Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale
C-SSRSSuicidal Ideation & Behaviour Severity
10 items
2011
α 0.73–0.80
Free
Posner, K., Brown, G.K., Stanley, B., Brent, D.A., Yershova, K.V., Oquendo, M.A., Currier, G.W., Melvin, G.A., Greenhill, L., Shen, S., & Mann, J.J.
Clinical safeguarding note: CRITICAL SAFEGUARDING REQUIREMENT: This scale must only be administered by trained clinicians or researchers with appropriate crisis protocols in place. Freely available from the Columbia Lighthouse Project. FDA-recommended for use in all psychiatric clinical trials. Not a self-report instrument — requires trained administration. Immediate clinical response pathways must be established before use.
What it measures
The FDA-recommended gold-standard measure for assessing suicidal ideation and behaviour in clinical trials and clinical practice. Provides a standardised taxonomy distinguishing five levels of ideation severity and five behaviour categories. Widely mandated as a safety measure in all psychiatric drug trials.
Response format
Structured clinical interview with Yes/No items; suicidal ideation (5 items) and suicidal behaviour (5 items) scored separately
Representative items
- Have you wished you were dead or wished you could go to sleep and not wake up? (Passive Ideation)
- Have you had any thoughts of killing yourself? (Active Ideation without Plan or Intent)
- Have you been thinking about how you might kill yourself? (Active Ideation with Method)
- Have you had these thoughts and had some intention of acting on them? (Ideation with Intent)
Recommended companion scales
PHQ-9BDI-IIMADRS
Citation
Posner, K., Brown, G.K., Stanley, B., Brent, D.A., Yershova, K.V., Oquendo, M.A., et al. (2011). The Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale: Initial validity and internal consistency findings from three multisite studies with adolescents and adults. American Journal of Psychiatry, 168(12), 1266–1277.
Keywords
#suicide#suicidalideation#self-harm#safety#clinicaltrial#FDA#riskassessment