Acronym
C-SSRS
Description
The Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS) is a questionnaire used for suicide assessment
developed by multiple institutions, including Columbia University, with NIMH support. The scale is
evidence-supported and is part of a national and international public health initiative involving the
assessment of suicidality. Available in 103 different languages, the scale has been successfully
implemented across many settings, including schools, college campuses, military, fire departments,
the justice system, primary care and for scientific research.
Several versions of the C-CCRS have been developed for clinical practice. The Risk Assessment
version is three pages long, with the initial page focusing on a checklist of all risk and protective
factors that may apply. This page is designed to be completed following the client (caller) interview.
The next two pages make up the formal assessment. The C-SSRS Risk Assessment is intended to help
establish a person’s immediate risk of suicide and is used in acute care settings.
In order to make the C-SSRS Risk Assessment available to all Lifeline centers, the Lifeline collaborated
with Kelly Posner, Ph.D., Director at the Center for Suicide Risk Assessment at Columbia
University/New York State Psychiatric Institute to slightly adjust the first checklist page to meet the
Lifeline’s Risk Assessment Standards. The following components were added: helplessness, feeling
trapped, and engaged with phone worker.
Area of assessment
Condition
Psychiatric.
Age Group
Adult- over 19 years
Literature on Arabic translation/validation of measure
| Author/link to article |
Publication year |
Population |
Sample Size |
Access to measure |
| Age |
Gender |
Condition |
Country |
|
Maha Zakhour
|
2021
|
18 - above |
Both |
community-dwelling participants
|
Lebanon
|
789
|
Not available |
