Purpose: Screen for suicidal ideation in adolescents
Age range: 12 to 18 years
Admin: Individual or group
Admin time: 10 minutes or less
Scoring time: 10 minutes
Qualification Level: C
The SIQ assesses the frequency of suicidal ideation and serves as a valuable component in a comprehensive assessment of adolescent mental health. Serves as a starting point for gathering information about your client's suicide potential.The SIQ consists of 30 items and is appropriate for students aged 15 to 18 years. The SIQ-JR consists of 15 items and is designed for students aged 12 to 15 years. Reliability coefficients are .97 for the SIQ and .93-.94 for the SIQ-JR. For many adolescents, the SIQ and the SIQ-JR provide a mechanism for informing adults/professionals of their level of distress and suicidal intent, serving as a cry for help. that doesn't involve self-injurious behaviour. Adolescents who are thinking about suicide may respond to these measures with the expectation that, in telling others of their suicidal thoughts, people will take notice of their distress and act to assist them. It is therefore vital that professionals act quickly once critical SIQ or SIQ-JR scores are obtained.
