The SAD PERSONS scale is an acronym utilized as a mnemonic device.

It was first developed

as a clinical assessment tool for medical students to determine suicide risk, by Patterson et al.
[1]
The Adapted-SAD PERSONS Scale was developed by Gerald A. Juhnke for use with children
in 1996.
Recent studies have found although the scale has specificity, its sensitivity is so low it is of no
clinical value;[2][3] moreover it may actually be clinically harmful.[4] This measure has also been
criticized for being an index of risk factors that may not be applicable to individuals, and that
suicide risk be assessed with more valid measures of the individual's current risk level. [5]

Calculation
The score is calculated from ten yes/no questions, with one point for each affirmative answer:

S: Male sex

A: Age (<19 or >45 years)

D: Depression

P: Previous attempt

E: Excess alcohol or substance use

R: Rational thinking loss

S: Social supports lacking

O: Organized plan

N: No spouse

S: Sickness
This score is then mapped onto a risk assessment scale as follows:

04: Low

56: Medium

710: High

Modified SAD PERSONS Scale

The score is calculated from ten yes/no questions, with points given for each affirmative answer
as follows:[6]
 S: Male sex 1

A: Age 15-25 or 59+ years 1

D: Depression or hopelessness 2

P: Previous suicidal attempts or psychiatric care 1

E: Excessive ethanol or drug use 1

R: Rational thinking loss (psychotic or organic illness) 2

S: Single, widowed or divorced 1

O: Organized or serious attempt 2

N: No social support 1

S: Stated future intent (determined to repeat or ambivalent) 2

This score is then mapped onto a risk assessment scale as follows:

05: May be safe to discharge (depending upon circumstances)

6-8: Probably requires psychiatric consultation

>8: Probably requires hospital admission

References[edit]

1. Jump up^ Patterson, WM; Dohn, HH; Patterson, J; Patterson, GA (April 1983).
"Evaluation of suicidal patients: the SAD PERSONS scale.". Psychosomatics. 24 (4):
3435, 3489. doi:10.1016/S0033-3182(83)73213-5. PMID 6867245.

2. Jump up^ Bolton, James M.; Spiwak, Rae; Sareen, Jitender (15 June 2012).
"Predicting Suicide Attempts With the SAD PERSONS Scale". The Journal of Clinical
Psychiatry. 73 (06): e735e741. doi:10.4088/JCP.11m07362. PMID 22795212.

3. Jump up^ Saunders, K.; Brand, F.; Lascelles, K.; Hawton, K. (29 July 2013).
"The sad truth about the SADPERSONS Scale: an evaluation of its clinical utility in self-
harm patients". Emergency Medicine Journal. 31: 796798.doi:10.1136/emermed-2013-
202781. PMID 23896589.

4. Jump up^ M. Birnbaumer, Diane. "A Sad Performance by the SADPERSONS

Scale". NEJM Journal Watch. Massachusetts Medical Society. Retrieved 8 August 2013.
5. Jump up^ Harris, K. M., Syu, J.-J., Lello, O. D., Chew, Y. L. E., Willcox, C. H.,
& Ho, R. C. M. (2015). The ABCs of suicide risk assessment: Applying a tripartite
approach to individual evaluations. PLoS ONE, 10(6),
e0127442.http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0127442 doi:
10.1371/journal.pone.0127442