Do Not Do Recommendation
Do not use risk assessment tools and scales to determine who should and should not be offered treatment or who should be discharged.
Do Not Do Recommendation Details
- Recommendation:
- Do not use risk assessment tools and scales to determine who should and should not be offered treatment or who should be discharged.
- Interventions:
- Risk assessment tools
Source guidance details
- Guidance:
- Self harm (longer term management) (CG133)
- Published date:
- November 2011
- Paragraph number:
- 1.3.12
- Page number:
- 22
View all NICE do not do from this Guidance
- Do not use risk assessment tools and scales to predict future suicide or repetition of self-harm.
- When prescribing drugs for associated mental health conditions to people who self-harm, take into account the toxicity of the prescribed drugs in overdose. For example, when considering antidepressants, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) may be preferred because they are less toxic than other classes of antidepressants. In particular, do not use tricyclic antidepressants, such as dosulepin, because they are more toxic.