Suicide risk assessment: practice question

A Psychiatry question in the style of the NEET PG paper. Answer it first, then read why the right option is right and why each of the others is wrong.

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Psychiatry · Suicide risk assessment

Sample item

During assessment, a patient reports current intent to die, a specific lethal plan, access to the planned means, and recent alcohol intoxication. What is the most appropriate immediate clinical priority?

Original practice item, not a recalled exam question. Nothing here is recorded.

The answer and the reasoning

D. Ensure immediate safety through urgent comprehensive assessment and restriction of access to means

Current intent, a specific plan, access to lethal means, and intoxication indicate an acute safety concern. The immediate response is to maintain safety, obtain urgent in-person risk assessment, and address access to means within local legal and clinical procedures.

Option by option

  • A. Begin insight-oriented psychotherapy only

    Psychotherapy may be part of longer-term care but is not the sole immediate response to acute risk.

  • B. Promise confidentiality and schedule routine follow-up

    Routine follow-up and unconditional confidentiality are unsafe when imminent risk is identified.

  • C. Reassure the patient that thoughts always pass

    Reassurance alone neither assesses nor reduces access to immediate danger.

  • D. Ensure immediate safety through urgent comprehensive assessment and restriction of access to means (correct)

    Correct. Acute risk requires immediate safety measures rather than delayed outpatient management.

Source note: Original NextPrep sample item — pending expert review. This item is original practice material awaiting independent expert review, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.

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Questions about this Psychiatry question

What is the answer to this Psychiatry question?

The best answer is D, Ensure immediate safety through urgent comprehensive assessment and restriction of access to means. Current intent, a specific plan, access to lethal means, and intoxication indicate an acute safety concern.

Why is "Begin insight-oriented psychotherapy only" not the answer?

Psychotherapy may be part of longer-term care but is not the sole immediate response to acute risk.

Why is "Promise confidentiality and schedule routine follow-up" not the answer?

Routine follow-up and unconditional confidentiality are unsafe when imminent risk is identified.

Why is "Reassure the patient that thoughts always pass" not the answer?

Reassurance alone neither assesses nor reduces access to immediate danger.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Suicide risk assessment in Psychiatry. The immediate response is to maintain safety, obtain urgent in-person risk assessment, and address access to means within local legal and clinical procedures.

How hard is this question?

We tag it as a multi-step question: it asks you to combine more than one idea. The tag is our own editorial judgement, not an official difficulty rating, so read the reason for every option, not only the answer.

How should I study Suicide risk assessment?

Learn each diagnosis by its core features and its first-line treatment. Then use the flashcards and the other Psychiatry questions on this site to test what stuck.

Is this a real NEET PG question?

No. It is an original practice item (editorial status: sample, version 1). NextPrep does not publish recalled or leaked questions, and independent faculty review of this item has not been completed yet, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.