Predictive Value of Baseline Electronic Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale (eC-SSRS) Assessments for Identifying Risk of Prospective Reports of Suicidal Behavior During Research Participation.

OBJECTIVE: Examine the ability of baseline electronic Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale lifetime suicidal ideation and behavior categories to predict prospective reports of suicidal behavior in psychiatric and non-psychiatric research participants.

DESIGN: Meta-analysis of 74,406 eC-SSRS assessments completed between September 2009 and December 2012.

SETTING: Thirty-three clinical research studies that used the electronic Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale to assess suicidal ideation and behavior at baseline and prospectively during follow-up visits.

PARTICIPANTS: Records from 6,760 patients with psychiatric disorders (opioid dependence, generalized anxiety, major depressive, and posttraumatic stress disorders) and 2,077 nonpsychiatric disorder patients (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, epilepsy, fibromyalgia, human immunodeficiency virus, insomnia, multiple sclerosis, osteoarthritis, pain/back pain, Parkinson's disease, restless leg syndrome) were analyzed.

MEASUREMENTS: Electronic Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale assessment of lifetime suicidal ideation (5 severity levels) and suicidal behavior (4 types) at baseline and prospectively reported suicidal behavior during study participation.

RESULTS: Increasingly more severe lifetime suicidal ideation at baseline was associated with a progressively greater likelihood of prospectively reported suicidal behavior during study participation. Intent to act on suicidal ideation was most predictive of reports of suicidal behavior. Reports of lifetime suicidal behaviors at baseline also predicted subsequent suicidal behavior, and multiple lifetime behaviors monotonically increased prospective risk of suicidal behavior. Baseline suicidal ideation and behavior predicted future suicidal behavior in both psychiatric and non-psychiatric trials.

CONCLUSIONS: Lifetime reports of suicidal ideation and/or behavior at baseline significantly increased risk of prospectively reporting suicidal behavior during research trial participation in both psychiatric and nonpsychiatric patients. Lifetime prevalence of suicidal ideation and behavior is higher among psychiatric patients, but also presents a safety concern among nonpsychiatric patients when reported.