Risk-Rescue Rating of Weisman and Worden for Suicide Assessment

 

Parameters – combined based up severity of findings:

(1) risk factors

(2) rescue factors

 

Risk factors:

(1) agent used

(2) impaired consciousness

(3) lesions and/or toxicity

(4) reversibility

(5) treatment required

 

Rescue factors:

(1) location

(2) person initiating rescue

(3) probability of discovery by rescuer

(4) accessibility to rescue

(5) delay until discovery

 

Each item has 3 responses which are scored from 1 to 3 points. For risk factors a higher score indicates greater risk. For rescue a higher score indicates a greater chance of being rescued.

 

total risk points =

= SUM(points for all 5 risk factors)

 

total rescue points =

= SUM(points for all 5 rescue factors)

 

Interpretation:

• minimum total points: 5

• maximum total points: 15

• The higher the total risk points, the greater the risk to the patient (high points bad).

• The higher the total rescue points, the more likely the patient is to be rescued (low points bad).

Risk Points	Risk Level	Risk Score
5 to 6	low	1
7 to 8	low – moderate	2
9 to 10	moderate	3
11 to 12	moderate - high	4
13 to 15	high	5

 

 

Rescue Points	Rescuability Level	Rescue Score
5 to 7	least	1
8 to 9	low – moderate	2
10 to 11	moderate	3
12 to 13	moderate – high	4
14 to 15	high	5

 

risk-rescue score =

= (risk value) / ((risk value) + (rescue value)) * 100

 

The risk-rescue score ranges between 17 and 83 points. The higher the score the more serious the attempt.