Role of doctors in the prevention of suicide: the final consultation.

George P. Ashcroft

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Suicide and Self-Harm Studies Mental Health Treatment and Access Homicide, Infanticide, and Child Abuse

Abstract

BACKGROUND: It is generally assumed that people committing suicide see their doctor shortly before their death, and consequently that enhancing doctors' psychiatric knowledge and interview skills might help prevent some suicides. AIM: A study was undertaken to determine the nature and timing of final contacts with medical practitioners by people committing suicide. METHOD: Adults dying by suicide in Scotland during 1988-89 were identified by the General Register Office for Scotland and their primary care case notes studied. RESULTS: Within this national sample, medical contact near to the time of the suicidal act was rare, except for those individuals who had a previous psychiatric history. CONCLUSION: These data suggest that medical practitioners, particularly those working in primary care, are not failing to detect and intervene in significant numbers of preventable suicides. Consequently, the likelihood of implementing successful suicide prevention strategies based within primary care is open to question. Greater awareness of the risk of eventual suicide in those with a previous history of psychiatric disorder may contribute to any future reduction in suicide rates.

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1974A Hundred Cases of Suicide: Clinical Aspects 1992Long‐term effects of an educational program for general practitioners given by the Swedish Committee for the Prevention and Treatment of Depression 1989Frequency of suicide on Gotland after systematic postgraduate education of general practitioners 1992By their own young hand.1989Suicide and attempted suicide in general practice, 1979–1986

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2002Contact With Mental Health and Primary Care Providers Before Suicide: A Review of the Evidence 2015General practitioners’ perspectives on primary care consultations for suicidal patients 2017Health care contact and suicide risk documentation prior to suicide death: Results from the Army Study to Assess Risk and Resilience in Servicemembers (Army STARRS).2005Improving Detection of Suicidal Ideation Among Depressed Patients in Primary Care

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