Suicide Assessment

The NSW Centre for Mental Health in order to improve assessment, treatment and outcomes for mental health clients across NSW developed the Mental Health Outcomes and Assessment Tool (MH-OAT).

The initiative was designed to address three major goals:

1. Accurate assessment of all clients entering the mental health service with an aim of providing the most appropriate interventions.

2. Strengthening the assessment skills of all clinicians.

3. Standardisation of recording and reporting assessments and interventions to ensure continuity of care for clients moving within and across services’ (NSW Centre for Mental Health 2001).

According to Meadows and Singh, the following are indicators of likelihood of suicide:

1. Previous suicidal behavior or specific plans to attempt suicide in the past

2. Family history of a suicide

3. Sociomographic characteristics, including older age (>45y/o), male gender, divorced or separated status, and being unemployed

4. Specific psychiatric disorders, including depression;

5. Specific mental state findings, including stated suicidal ideation

6. Physical illness

7. Recent major loss or separation

8. Making wills or generally tidying up of personal affairs

9. The availability of lethal means’ (meadows and Singh 2001, p. 236).