Research teams have developed computer tests that compute the individual's response to stimuli to get a better read on suicidality. One team used a Stroop test to help in assessment and got intriguing results. A Stroop test presents words in color and asks the subject to identify the color. If the word "blue" is presented in a red color, the computer can measure the time it takes to respond with the correct color and use that to measure level of attention in the individual. For individuals with attention problems or cognitive disorders (ADHD, brain damage, depression), longer response times indicate issues with executive functions. Turns out that people at high risk for suicide pay more attention to words associated with self-harm, such as "suicide".
The other study used reaction time to measure the strength of association between sets of words. The response rate indicated increased response in some individuals to certain combinations of terms for the self and for death/suicide. Those people with those higher "unconscious associations" were 6 times more likely to attempt suicide in the next 6 months than people who associated self and life.
These studies are intriguing and would be pretty straightforward to implement in even small clinical settings.
