Future direction of suicidal risk assessment

Abstract

Objective

to explore future directions on the assessment of the risk of suicidal behavior (SB).

Methods

narrative review of current and future methods to improving the assessment of the risk of suicidal behavior (SB).

Results

Predicting future SB is a long-standing goal. Currently, the identification of individuals at risk of SB is based on clinician's subjective reports. Unfortunately, most individuals at risk of SB often do not disclose their suicidal thoughts. In the near future, predicting the risk of SB will be enhanced by: (1) introducing objective, reliable measures – i.e. biomarkers – of suicide risk; (2) selecting the most discriminant variables, and developing more accurate measures – i.e. questionnaires – and models for suicide prediction; (3) incorporating new sources of information – i.e. facebook, online monitoring; (4) applying novel methodological instruments such as data mining, or computer adaptive testing; and, (5) most importantly, combining predictors from different domains (clinical, neurobiological and cognitive).

Conclusions

Given the multi-determined nature of SB, a combination of clinical, neuropsychological, biological, and neuroimaging factors, among other might help overcome current limitations in the prediction of SB. Furthermore, given the complexity of prediction of future SB, currently our efforts should be focused on the prevention of SB.

Disclosure of interest

The author has not supplied his declaration of competing interest.