Preventing suicide in primary care patients: the primary care physician's role.

Herbert C Schulberg, Martha L Bruce, Pamela W Lee, John W Williams, Allen J Dietrich

Journal: General hospital psychiatry 2005;26(5):337-45

PMID: 15474633

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Abstract

Suicide is a critical public health problem that primary care physicians potentially can help address given that distressed patients frequently visit them in the weeks and months preceding the successful suicide. This article considers factors placing the patient at high risk for successful suicide and clinical assessment techniques available to the primary care physician. Patients who wish to harm themselves but still lack an articulated plan for doing so can be treated by the primary care physician with the monitoring assistance of a depression care manager and appropriate consultation by a mental health specialist.

Address: Weill Medical College, Cornell University, White Plains, NY 10605, USA. [email protected]

DOI: 10.1016/j.genhosppsych.2004.06.007

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MeSH Terms: Case Management, Cross-Sectional Studies, Depressive Disorder, Humans, Personality Assessment, Primary Health Care, Referral and Consultation, Risk Assessment, Suicide, United States, Suicide Prevention