ToolsCalculators
ED-SAFE Patient Safety Screener 3 (PSS-3)
Brief universal suicide-risk screen for acute care.
ED-SAFE Patient Safety Screener 3 (PSS-3)
Depressed mood in the past 2 weeks (down, depressed, or hopeless)
Item 1 - clinical context; does not by itself define a positive screen.
Active suicidal ideation in the past 2 weeks (thoughts of killing yourself)
Lifetime suicide attempt
ResultNegative screen
Screen negative. Reassess if clinical concern arises.
- Recent active ideation
- No
- Attempt within 6 months
- No
When to use
- Universal screening of adult ED/acute-care patients for suicide risk regardless of chief complaint.
Formula
Positive screen if active suicidal ideation in the past 2 weeks OR a suicide attempt within the last 6 months.
Pearls and pitfalls
- The depression item provides context but does not alone constitute a positive screen.
- A positive PSS-3 should trigger a secondary risk assessment (e.g. ED-SAFE Secondary Screener), not immediate psychiatric admission.