Violence Ideation and Suicidality Treatment Algorithm (VISTA©)
The VISTA© is a pocket-size guideline useful for identifying violence ideation and suicidality with particular attention to nonideation suicidality in patients 8 to 24 years old, regardless of setting or provider.
Benefits of VISTA© Algorithm
- Quickly evaluates the impact of neurocognitive factors on violent behavior
- Discriminates within minutes between early and late onset factors
- Encourages interactive process between patient and clinician
- Aids consistent interdisciplinary communication
- Provides guidance in psychiatric emergencies for primary providers
- Guideline to 'asymptomatic' patients who often deny ideation
- Gender and cross culturally appropriate
- Psychometrically sound
- Balanced sensitivity and specificity (87.5 and 90%)
- Strong test-retest and interrater stability coefficients (.70 to .97)
- Excellent neurodiagnostic correlation coefficients (.66 to .75)
- Can be accomplished with relatively few questions
- Provides systematic process of evaluation
- Identifies modifiable and treatable risk factors
- Represents first stage in multistage systematic assessment
- Utilized as follow-up when there is a change in clinical status
- Informs treatment
VISTA© Indications
- Subjects, 8 to 24 years old, at risk for or suspected suicidal or violent behavior, with 1 or more of the following risk factors:
- Abrupt change in mental status or psychomotor behavior
- Preparatory violent behavior
- New onset ideation or worsening of existing ideation
- Suspected 'asymptomatic' nonideation suicidality
- Lack of improvement or worsening despite treatment
- Acute interpersonal or situational stressor
- For monitoring potential medication side effects
Adapted from Copelan, R.I., Messer, MA., Ashley D., Adolescent Violence Screening in the ED, American Journal of Emergency Medicine 24 (2004) (5), pp. 582-594
VISTA© is not yet available for distribution. Return to this web site for updates.
