To remember components of Beck's suicide intent scale. helps in identifying high intent suicide from parasuicides and self harm behaviours and impulsives acts. This scale helps assessment of suicide survivor by psychiatrist in emergency room. Triaging self harm behaviour patients.

1. Becks Suicide Intent Scale (SIS)
Dr Amala Musty MBBS DPM
Columbus hospital, Hyderabad

2. • To accomplish any task there will be a thought and an action
• Understanding, identifying thoughts that denote high intent
• Understanding , identifying actions that denote high intent
• Temporal arrangement of those thoughts and actions

3. Actions – 8, objective those which are in
conscious awareness of the psychiatrist
• S- Signal for SOS
• P- Preparation
• A- Acts in anticipation
• I- Isolation
• N- Note
• C – Communication
• T- Timing
• P – Precaution from being accessible

4. Thoughts – 7, subjective those which are in
conscious awareness of the patient
• P- Purpose
• R- Rescuablility
• F- Fatality
• L- Lethality
• A- Attitude
• P – Premediation
• S - Seriousness

5. • Low intent score (15-19)
• Medium intent (20-28)
• High intent (29+) score
• Highest score 15 × 3= 45
• Lowest score 15 × 1 = 15

6. • Other aspects (not included in total scoring)
• 1.no of previous attempt
• 2.reaction to attempt
• 3.visualization of death
• 4.intake of alcohol
• 5.drug intake in relation to attempts

7. Features of high intent scale
Actions
1. S- Signals of SOS
High intent score 3
Did not contact or notify
potential helper
Low or medium intent
.Notified potential helper
regarding attempt score1
.Contacted but did not specifically
notify potential helper regarding
attempt score 2

8. • 2. Preparations
• 3. Acts in anticipation
Extensive score 3 None score1
Minimal to moderate score 2
Made definite plans or completed
arrangements score 3
None score 1
Thought about or made some arrangements score 2

9. • 4. Isolation
• 5. Note
No one nearby or in visual or vocal contact
score 3
Somebody present score1
Somebody nearby, or in visual or vocal contact
score2
Presence of note score 3 Absence of note score 1
Note written, but torn up; note thought about
score2

10. • 6. Communication
• 7. Timing
Unequivocal communication score3 None score1
Equivocal communication score2
Intervention is highly unlikely Intervention is probable score 1
Intervention is not likely score 2

11. • 8.Precautions
Active precautions (as locked door) score3 No precautions score1
Passive precautions (as avoiding other but
doing nothing to prevent their intervention;
alone in room with unlocked door) score2

12. • 9. Purpose
• 10.Rescuablility
To escape, surcease, solve problems score 3 To manipulate environment, get attention, get
revenge score1
To serve the purpose of both escaping and
manipulating the environement score 2
Was certain of death even if he received
medical attention score 3
Thought that death would be unlikely if he
received medical attention score 1
Was uncertain whether death could be averted
by medical attention score 2

13. • 11.Fatality
• 12.Lethality
Thought that death was probable or certain Thought that death was unlikely
Thought that death was possible but not
probable
Equaled or exceeded what s/he thought would
be lethal
Did less to self than s/he thought would be
lethal
Wasn't sure if what s/he did would be lethal

14. • 13.Attitude
• 14.Premediation
Wanted to die Did not want to die
Components of above and below
Suicide contemplated for more than three
hours prior to attempt
None; impulsive
Suicide contemplated for three hours of less
prior to attempt

15. • Seriousness
Seriously attempted to end life Did not seriously attempt to end life
Uncertain about seriousness to end life

16. Temporal or time table of action
• Few weeks to days before the act
• 1. Planning and preparation
• 2. Acts in anticipation
• 3. Note
• On the day of performing the action
• 4. Timing
• After performing the act
• 5. Isolation
• 6. Precautions
• 7. Signal
• 8. Communication