HI
Also written as: HI — Homicidal Ideation
Abbreviation for Homicidal Ideation; thoughts, urges, or preoccupations about harming or killing another person, documented during psychiatric risk assessment.
Full Definition
Homicidal Ideation (HI) is assessed alongside suicidal ideation (SI) in standard psychiatric evaluations and is routinely documented in mental status examinations, progress notes, and risk assessments. The clinician must specify whether ideation is passive or active, whether there is a specific target, and whether there is a plan or intent. Editors must ensure that 'HI' is expanded to 'Homicidal Ideation (HI)' on first use in formal documents. The term must not be confused with 'SI,' and the two should appear as a paired assessment item ('denies SI/HI'). Documentation of HI may trigger mandatory reporting obligations, which editors reviewing such records should be aware of.
Usage
Usage note: Always paired with SI in risk documentation. Expand on first use in formal reports. Documentation of HI may have mandatory reporting implications editors should flag.
In Context
- "The clinician noted 'patient denies SI/HI' in the mental status section of the progress note." — Outpatient progress note
- "Expand 'HI' to 'Homicidal Ideation (HI)' on first use in formal psychiatric evaluation reports." — Editorial style guidance for clinical documentation