HI
Also written as: HI — Homicidal Ideation
Homicidal Ideation - thoughts, ideas, or plans related to harming or killing another person, requiring immediate safety assessment and intervention.
Full Definition
Homicidal Ideation (HI) refers to thoughts, ideas, wishes, or plans to harm or kill another person. Clinical assessment of HI involves evaluating the specificity of targets, access to means, intent level, and timeline for potential action. Unlike suicidal ideation, homicidal ideation carries additional legal obligations including duty to warn potential victims and may require law enforcement notification. Documentation must carefully distinguish between general anger or frustration and true homicidal planning. Assessment includes evaluation of psychotic features, substance use, history of violence, and current stressors that might increase risk of acting on homicidal thoughts.
Usage
Usage note: Requires immediate documentation and safety planning; distinguish from general anger or agitation in clinical notes.
In Context
- "Patient expressed HI toward his estranged wife with specific threats and knowledge of her location." — emergency assessment
- "No current HI identified, though patient reports persistent anger toward coworkers." — psychiatric evaluation