What should clinicians assess to understand a client's suicide risk?

To effectively evaluate a client's suicide risk, it is crucial to assess the intent and context of the behavior. Understanding a client's intent involves determining whether they have thought about or planned a suicide attempt, which reveals the seriousness of their suicidal thoughts. Context includes the circumstances surrounding these thoughts, such as triggers, stressors, or specific life events that might contribute to their feelings of hopelessness or despair. This comprehensive insight allows clinicians to gauge the immediacy and severity of the client's risk, ultimately guiding the need for intervention.

While assessing a client's medical history, support systems, family history, and symptoms of other mental illnesses are indeed valuable components of a holistic assessment, they do not directly illuminate the client's immediate thoughts and feelings regarding suicide. Therefore, focusing on intent and context allows for a more nuanced understanding of the client's current mental state.