HEADDSSS Interview Suicidality		Suicide is the third leading cause of death in the United States among 15-24 year olds. It's very common. You need to ask about this, you'll be surprised at how many kids will answer yes. Remember, kids are impulsive. If adults are thinking about suicide, they will mull it over for weeks. Adolescents don't do that - they think about it and they do it!! Often within 30-60 minutes. Females attempt suicide more often than males, but males are more successful. This is largely due to the different modalities they tend to use. Females usually slash their wrists or use pills and maybe not enough to be successful, where males tend to use guns at close range or hanging. You have to ask whether someone has been suicidal before. If so, what modality was used? Do they have a plan? If so, what is it? And then you need to refer them to the ER for emergency psychiatric care, especially if they have been suicidal previously. Return to top of page