title: The complexity of assessing overall severity of suicidality: a case study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This paper investigates the relationship between total scale scores and some other measures used to assess global severity of suicidality in order to determine if "global assessment" can be accomplished with one metric or if is it necessary to judge severity of suicidality in a multidimensional fashion.
  
  
  METHODS
  For over a year, one subject with daily suicidality self-rated a global severity of suicidality score, the time spent in suicidality over 31,183 events of suicidality, the Sheehan-Suicidality Tracking Scale, Hopelessness Spectrum measure, and the Suicide Plan Tracking Scale.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Relying on only one or two metrics to assess global severity of suicidality appears to have significant limitations. As with all single case reports, the findings may not be generalizable to other cases of suicidality.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  At the middle to high end of the suicidality spectrum, it is necessary to rely on multiple metrics, not just a global severity of suicidality rating, to properly assess the overall severity of suicidality.
authors.affiliation: J. Giddens is Co-founder of the Tampa Center for Research on Suicidality, Tampa, Florida; and Dr. Sheehan is Distinguished University Health Professor Emeritus, University of South Florida College of Medicine, Tampa, Florida.
authors.forename: Jennifer M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Giddens
authors.affiliation: J. Giddens is Co-founder of the Tampa Center for Research on Suicidality, Tampa, Florida; and Dr. Sheehan is Distinguished University Health Professor Emeritus, University of South Florida College of Medicine, Tampa, Florida.
authors.forename: David V
authors.initials: DV
authors.lastname: Sheehan
keywords: S-STS; SPTS; Suicide scale; global severity; hopelessness; suicidality; suicide; suicide assessment; suicide risk; time spent