Validation of the Ask suicide-screening questions questionnaire-adapted for the deconstruction of suicidal ideas in pediatric emergencies.
Keywords:
Keywords: Suicide, Attempted, Adolescent, Surveys and Questionnaires, Pediatric Emergency MedicineAbstract
Introduction: From the perspective of pediatricians' clinical practice in the emergency department, it is considered necessary to have an instrument as a strategy for managing patients in psychiatric emergencies and addressing suicide prevention following an attempt.
Objective: To present the validation of the Ask Suicide Screening Questions questionnaire, adapted for deconstructing suicidal ideation in pediatric emergency departments following a suicide attempt.
Method: An exploratory study was conducted at the Dr. Antonio Luaces Iraola Provincial General Teaching Hospital in Ciego de Ávila, from June 2024 to June 2025. The validation process was carried out in three phases within the study period. Phase 1 (June to August 2024): expert validation through consensus using a focus group with specialists. Phase 2 (September 2024): validation using Cronbach's alpha. Phase 3 (October 2024 to June 2025): pilot test with real patients.
Results: The questionnaire was validated by a focus group of specialists, achieving a 93% acceptance rate across the evaluated components. Similarly, the internal consistency analysis of the questionnaire, using Cronbach's alpha coefficient as a statistical measure, yielded a value of 0.96. The pilot test, administered to 11 adolescents following a suicide attempt, showed positive changes in 9 adolescents (81.9%); these results were provided by the Mental Health team.
Conclusions: This study presents the adapted, original, and validated ASQ questionnaire for addressing suicidal ideation, administered by pediatricians in the emergency department following a suicide attempt.
Downloads
References
1. Organización Mundial de la Salud. Suicidio [Internet]. Mar 2025[acceso: 02/08/2025]. Disponible en: https://www.who.int/es/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/suicide
2. Ministerio de Salud Pública (Cuba). Anuario Estadístico de Salud 2024 [Internet]. La Habana: Dirección de Registros Médicos y Estadísticas de Salud; 2025[acceso: 28/09/2025].189p. Disponible en: https://files.sld.cu/dne/files/2025/09/AES-2024-para-sitio-3.pdf
3. Cortés-Alfaro A, Alonso-Uría RM, Castro-Peraza M, Díaz-Hernández MA, Machado-Lubián MC, Maggie-Torriente J, et al. Prevención de la conducta suicida en adolescentes [Internet]. La Habana: Editorial Ciencias Médicas; 2019 [acceso: 10/08/2025]. Disponible en: http://www.bvs.sld.cu/libros/prevencion_conducta_suicida_adolescentes/prevencion_conducta_suicida.pdf
4. Organización Panamericana de la Salud. Prevención del Suicidio [Internet]. 2022 [acceso: 28/08/2025]. [aprox. 3 pantallas]. Disponible en: https://www.paho.org/es/campanas/dia-mundial-prevencion-suicidio-2022
5. Rodríguez-Garcia S, Llanes-Santos M, Hidalgo-Ávila M. Revisión sistemática sobre prevención del suicidio en edades pediátricas. Mediciego [Internet]. 2025[acceso: 13/09/2025]; 31:4045-e4045. Disponible en: https://revmediciego.sld.cu/index.php/mediciego/article/download/4045/4412
6. Organización Panamericana de la Salud. Manual de prácticas para el establecimiento y mantenimiento de sistemas de vigilancia de intentos de suicidio y autoagresiones [Internet]. Washington D.C.: OPS; 2018 [acceso: 14/08/2025]. Disponible en: https://iris.paho.org/bitstream/handle/10665.2/49120/9789275320082_spa.pdf?sequence=1
7. Horowitz LM, Bridge JA, Teach SJ, Ballard E, Klima J, Rosenstein DL, et al. Ask Suicide-Screening Questions (ASQ): a brief instrument for the pediatric emergency department. Arch Pediatrics Adolescent Mdicine[Internet]. 2012[acceso: 14/09/2025];166(12):1170-1176. Disponible en: https://www.suicideinfo.ca/wp-content/uploads/gravity_forms/6-191a85f36ce9e20de2e2fa3869197735/2017/12/Ask-Suicide-Screening-Questions-ASQ_oa.pdf
8. Lanzillo EC, Horowitz LM, Wharff EA, Sheftall AH, Pao M, Bridge JA. The importance of screening preteens for suicide risk in the emergency department. Hosp Pediatr [Internet]. Abr 2019 [acceso: 23/09/2025];9(4):305-7. Disponible en: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6434973/pdf/hpeds.2018-0154.pdf
9. Artiles-Visbal L, Iglesias-Otero, Barrios-Ozuna I. Metodología de la investigación [Internet]. La Habana: Ciencias Médicas; 2008[acceso: 14/06/2024].p.341. Disponible en: http://bvs.sld.cu/libros_texto/metodologia_dela_investigacion_leticia/completo.pdf
10. Rodas-Pacheco FD, Pacheco-Salazar VG. Grupos focales: marco de referencia para su implementación. INNOVA Res J [Internet]. 2020 [acceso: 14/06/2024]; 5(3):182-95. Disponible en: https://doi.org/10.33890/innova.v5.n3.2020.1401
11. Asociación Médica Mundial. Declaración de Helsinki de la AMM - Principios éticos para las investigaciones médicas en seres humanos [Internet] oct 2024[acceso: 23/07/2025]:1–8. Disponible en: https://www.wma.net/es/policies-post/declaracion-de-helsinki-de-la-amm-principios-eticos-para-las-investigaciones-medicas-en-seres-humanos/
12. Aguinaldo LD, Sullivant S, Lanzillo EC, Ross A, He JP, Bradley-Ewing A, et al. Validation of the ask suicide-screening questions (ASQ) with youth in outpatient specialty and primary care clinics. Gen Hosp Psychiatry[Internet]. Feb 2021[acceso: 28/08/2025];68:52-58. Disponible en: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7855604/
13. Horowitz LM, Wharff EA, Mournet AM, Ross AM, McBee-Strayer S, He JP, et al. Validación y viabilidad del ASQ en pacientes pediátricos hospitalizados en medicina y cirugía. Hosp Pediatr[Internet].2020[acceso: 14/09/2025];10:750–7. Disponible en: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32826283/
14. Rodante DE, Papávero EB, Ingratta AV, Gorrini A, Ralli E, Rodante ED, et al. Validation of the Spanish ASQ translation: Screening pediatric patients for suicide-risk in Argentina. Gen Hosp Psychiatry[Internet]. Dic 2023[acceso:13/09/2025];85:191-198. Disponible en: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12020999/
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Sara Rodriguez Garcia, Migdalia Fernández Villalón, Damaris Pino Rodríguez, Dinora García Martin
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
