Which term refers to thoughts of self-harm or death?

Which term refers to thoughts of self-harm or death?

• A. Suicidal ideation
• B. Suicide risk assessment
• C. Thought process
• D. Circumstantiality

Answer: (A)

Suicidal ideation is the term used for thoughts about harming oneself or about death. It covers a range from passive wishes to die to active plans, and noting its presence or absence helps clinicians gauge risk and decide on safety steps or further assessment. The other terms point to different concepts: suicide risk assessment is the process of evaluating how likely someone is to act on those thoughts, thought process refers to how a person’s thinking is organized, and circumstantiality is a disorganized pattern of thought that eventually reaches the point but with unnecessary details.

Suicidal ideation is the term used for thoughts about harming oneself or about death. It covers a range from passive wishes to die to active plans, and noting its presence or absence helps clinicians gauge risk and decide on safety steps or further assessment. The other terms point to different concepts: suicide risk assessment is the process of evaluating how likely someone is to act on those thoughts, thought process refers to how a person’s thinking is organized, and circumstantiality is a disorganized pattern of thought that eventually reaches the point but with unnecessary details.