Suicidal Obsessions or Suicidal Ideation? A Case Report and Practical Guide for Differential Assessment

•Suicidal obsessions (SO) can be challenging to distinguish from suicidal ideation (SI).•Inaccurate assessment of SO vs. SI can lead to inappropriate treatment.•We present a practical guide with a case example to help differentiate SO from SI.•We show how these differences functionally interrelate with each other in SO and SI.