Recognizing and Responding to Suicide Risk in Pregnancy and Postpartum
Suicide is a leading contributor to maternal mortality, yet many perinatal clinicians feel uncertain about how to respond when a patient endorses suicidal thoughts. Suicide risk assessment is not just about deciding whether someone needs to go to the emergency department. While that decision is sometimes necessary, most postpartum patients who disclose suicidal thoughts will not require hospitalization. What they do require is structured, collaborative assessment, a contextualized safety plan, and a treatment approach that addresses the underlying drivers of risk — including sleep deprivation, isolation, trauma, anxiety, and depression.
This course follows one patient, Shanice, from a positive EPDS Question 10 response through risk assessment, safety planning, and collaborative treatment planning. You will observe and practice:
- Conducting a brief, structured suicide risk assessment using SAFE-T with C-SSRS
- Developing a perinatal-specific safety plan using the Stanley–Brown framework
- Identifying and targeting modifiable drivers of suicide risk
The goal is not simply to assess risk, but to reduce it – in a way that preserves alliance, supports attachment, and builds hope.
Learning Audience
This training is designed for health care professionals and clinicians supporting perinatal patients with mental health or substance use concerns.
Learning Objectives
After completing this course, you should be able to:
- Conduct a brief, structured suicide risk assessment following endorsement of suicidal thoughts on depression screening tools and/or patient disclosure of suicidal thoughts, using a collaborative, patient-centered approach and validated, evidence-based assessment tools.
- Develop a safety plan using the Stanley-Brown framework tailored to the perinatal context.
- Identify modifiable drivers of risk in the perinatal period, including sleep deprivation, isolation, and overwhelm, and integrate these into safety and treatment planning.
Time to Complete
This course takes 1 to 1.5 hours to complete. You can pause and resume at any time.
Authors
Sarah Nagle-Yang, MD, Executive Director, Colorado Center for Women’s Behavioral Health, Associate Professor of Psychiatry, University of Colorado School of Medicine
Continuing Medical Education Credit
This course has been approved by the American Academy of Family Physicians for one Continuing Medical Education Credit.
This is contingent upon completion of all lessons, interactions, and the final assessment.
