Background: The purpose and objective of this project was to implement the use of the Risk for Suicide Questionnaire (RSQ) screening tool to identify adolescents at risk for suicide at a primary care clinic in the state of Maryland. The epidemic of suicides among youths is a source of significant and preventable loss of life. Suicide is the third leading cause of death among youths aged 15 to 19 years, accounting for approximately 2,000 of the overall number of deaths in this age group each year. In 2001, suicide rates in the United States were 12.9 per 100,000 among male youths and 2.7 among female youths. Despite this high prevalence and known risk factors, most suicidal adolescents do not access mental health care services. Suicidal adolescents may be less likely to seek help for mental illness, a few adolescents who attempt suicide receive appropriate assessment and follow-up care. Moreover, many children and adolescents at risk for suicide are not identified by primary care providers and many youth who die by suicide visit a non-psychiatric clinician such as a counselor in the months before their deaths. Foreground: Since 2004, there has been an increase in the numbers of adolescents threatening and committing suicide, in Washington D.C., according to National Institute of Mental Health. Hence, the onus of detection has fallen on primary care providers (PCP). Primary care clinics are logical settings where screening that leads to intervention can be initiated. EBP Framework: The ACE Star Model was used to guide the overall plan of this project and the Force Field Model of Change developed by Lewin was used to guide the implementation process of the capstone project. Methods: The short term goal of this project was to have PCPs implement RSQ and identify teens at risk for suicide. PCPs were educated on the use fo RSQ. Data generated was entered into Excel software for analysis. Descriptive statistics and an appropriate measurement level were applied. Findings/Results: Results from this study showed that 100% of the primary care providers at this clinic adhered to the use of the RSQ as part of the psychosocial evaluation of adolescent seen at this clinic. Conclusion/Recommendations: The outcome of this project improved the knowledge of PCPs and enhanced their ability to screen for suicide risk in adolescent population. On-going suicide prevention trainings are necessary for PCPs according to evidence-based suicide prevention protocols.
