Beck Suicide Ideation Scale Waleed Ahmad Aaron Beck developed the Beck Suicidal ideation scale in 1979. 1 The scale applies to those aged seventeen and above . Five items for screening and the rest for severity are on the scale.  The first ten items assess active suicidal desire. Interpretation A score of up to six indicates low risk . According to the interpretation, those scoring above six but lower than thirteen are at moderate risk of suicide . Individuals with a severe risk of suicide score between 13 and 20, while those who score higher than twenty-one have a very high risk of suicide. About the Author The author is a consultant psychiatrist at the department of psychiatry, Mercy Teaching Hospital Peshawar, and a member of the faculty at the department of psychiatry and behavioural sciences, Peshawar Medical College, Peshawar, 25000, KP, Pakistan. Email: dr.waleed@outlook.com  Reference Beck, A. T., Kovacs, M., & Weissman, A. (1979). Assessment of ...