Process / pipelinesuicide-risk-assessment

Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS)

The Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale is a brief clinician-administered assessment of suicide risk developed by Kelly Posner and colleagues at Columbia University to address limitations in prior screening tools. First published in the American Journal of Psychiatry in 2011, the C-SSRS has become the FDA-endorsed standard for monitoring suicidal ideation and behavior in antidepressant, anticonvulsant, and neuropsychiatric medication trials. The scale assesses both suicidal ideation (frequency and intensity) and suicidal behavior (attempts, preparatory acts) over defined time windows, providing structured risk stratification.

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Sources

  1. Posner, K., Brown, G. K., Stanley, B., Brent, D. A., Yershova, K. V., Oquendo, M. A., & Shen, S. (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. DOI: 10.1176/appi.ajp.2011.10111704
  2. Mundt, J. C., Greist, J. H., Jefferson, J. W., Federico, M., Mann, J. J., & Posner, K. (2013). Prediction of suicidal behavior in clinical trials of treatment for depression. Depression and Anxiety, 30(1), 22–29. DOI: 10.1002/da.21982
  3. Stanley, B., & Brown, G. K. (2012). Safety planning intervention: a brief intervention to mitigate suicide risk. Cognitive and Behavioral Practice, 19(2), 256–264. DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpra.2011.01.001

Related methods

ScholarGateColumbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale (Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS)). Retrieved 2026-06-04 from https://scholargate.app/en/clinical-psychology/columbia-suicide-severity-rating