Which term refers to thoughts of self-harm or death?

• A. Suicide risk assessment
• B. Suicidal ideation
• C. Mood
• D. Wernicke aphasia

Answer: (B)

Thoughts of self-harm or death are called suicidal ideation. It spans from passive wishes not to be alive to active plans or intent to harm oneself, and it’s a key detail clinicians ask about during a mental status exam to gauge safety and need for intervention. A suicide risk assessment is the process used to evaluate how likely someone is to act on these thoughts, not the thoughts themselves. Mood refers to the overall emotional state, and Wernicke aphasia is a language disorder that affects comprehension and speech.