european psychiatric association

Suicide Risk Assessment: Advances, Difficulties, Pitfalls

EPA webinar by the Council of NPAs and the Section on Suicidology and Suicide Prevention

On the occasion of World Suicide Prevention Day, the EPA is pleased to announce the webinar “Suicide Risk Assessment: Advances, Difficulties, Pitfalls,” taking place on Thursday, 10 September 2026, from 16:30 to 18:00 CEST. This webinar is organised by the EPA Council of National Psychiatric Associations and EPA Section on Suicidology and Suicide Prevention.

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DETAILS

  • Title: Suicide Risk Assessment: Advances, Difficulties, Pitfalls
  • Date: Tuesday, 10 September 2026
  • Time: 16:30 – 18:00 CEST
  • Platform: Zoom
  • Registrations: Open

Key learning objectives

  • Staying up to date on the current evidence on the models of suicidality assessment
  • Acquiring comparative familiarity with different models of prediction
  • Discussing the practicality and challenges of implementing assessment models

PROGRAMME

16:30 – 16:40 | Prof. Eka Chkonia & Prof. Ricardo Gusmão – Welcome, context and speakers’ introduction
16:40 – 17:20 | Prof. Seena Fazel – Integrating Novel Risk Prediction Tools into Established Approaches for Risk Formulation and Management
17:20 – 17:50 | Q&A Session
17:50 – 18:00 | Prof. Eka Chkonia & Prof. Ricardo Gusmão – Conclusions

Abstract:

This webinar will provide an overview of new research in suicide risk assessment. The presentation by Prof. Fazel which is expected to last 40 minutes will focus on integrating novel risk prediction tools and models into established frameworks for risk formulation and management. It will critically examine the strengths and limitations of these models and explore their potential to improve the consistency of assessment within and across clinical teams and improve risk stratification in clinical settings.

The lecture will also highlight problems with checklist approaches to assessment that use cut-offs, which can lead to denial of care and high false positive rates if used simplistically. It will consider whether novel tools which use probability estimates, similar to the rest of medicine, can underscore safety planning and psychosocial needs assessment, and whether they can be considered as part of a set of interventions offered to people at risk.  There are differences among European countries with respect to the psychiatrists’ medicolegal involvement and responsibility in the assessment of suicidality. However, there is no community where a psychiatrist is not requested to fulfil the assessment.

The presentation will be followed by a 30-minute Q&A session, led by the chairs with active participation from the audience.

Target audience

Psychiatrists.

Moderators

  • Eka Chkonia, Chair of the Council of NPAs, Program Director in Psychiatry, Tbilisi State Medical University, Clinical Director, Central Psychiatric Hospital (Tbilisi Mental Health Center), Tbilisi, Giorgia – Biography
  • Ricardo Gusmão, Chair of the EPA Section on Suicidology and Suicide Prevention; Associate Professor of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto; Principal Investigator and Coordinator of the Mental Health Literacy, Wellbeing, Depression and Suicide Prevention research group, Institute of Public Health, University of Porto (ISPUP); Founding member, European Alliance Against Depression (EAAD); Porto, Portugal – Biography

Speakers

  • Seena Fazel, Professor of Forensic Psychiatry and Director of the Centre for Suicide Research, University of Oxford; Honorary Consultant Forensic Psychiatrist, Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust; Expert Member, UK Independent Advisory Panel on Deaths in Custody, United Kingdom – Biography

Additional resources:

  • Seyedsalehi A, Fazel S. Suicide risk assessment tools and prediction models: new evidence, methodological innovations, outdated criticisms. BMJ Ment Health. 2024 Mar 14;27(1):e300990. doi: 10.1136/bmjment-2024-300990.
  • Favril L, Yu R, Geddes JR, Fazel S. Individual-level risk factors for suicide mortality in the general population: an umbrella review. Lancet Public Health. 2023 Nov;8(11):e868-e877. doi: 10.1016/S2468-2667(23)00207-4.
  • Seyedsalehi, A., Bailey, J., Ogonah, M.G.T. et al. Prediction models for self-harm and suicide: a systematic review and critical appraisal. BMC Med 23, 549 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12916-025-04367-6