Contact With Mental Health and Primary Care Providers Before Suicide

A Review of the Evidence

Dados Bibliográficos

ID23353255
AutoresJason B Luoma (0000-0002-3601-7037, National Institute of Mental Health), Catherine Martin (0000-0003-4525-3098), Catherine E Martin (0000-0002-8177-1944), Jane L Pearson (0000-0002-7969-058X, Office of Research Services)
Ano2002
Volume159
Fascículo6
Páginas909-916
Data de publicação2002-06-01
Peer ReviewedSim
Open AccessNão
TipoARTICLE
PeriódicoAmerican Journal of Psychiatry (JOURNAL)
Identificadores do periódicoISSN: 0002-953X • E-ISSN: 1535-7228
EditoraAmerican Psychiatric Association Publishing (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.1176/appi.ajp.159.6.909
PMID12042175
OpenAlexW2037299548
IdiomaEN
Citações recebidas122
Referências citadas44

OBJECTIVE: This study examined rates of contact with primary care and mental health care professionals by individuals before they died by suicide. METHOD: The authors reviewed 40 studies for which there was information available on rates of health care contact and examined age and gender differences among the subjects. RESULTS: Contact with primary care providers in the time leading up to suicide is common. While three of four suicide victims had contact with primary care providers within the year of suicide, approximately one-third of the suicide victims had contact with mental health services. About one in five suicide victims had contact with mental health services within a month before their suicide. On average, 45% of suicide victims had contact with primary care providers within 1 month of suicide. Older adults had higher rates of contact with primary care providers within 1 month of suicide than younger adults. CONCLUSIONS: While it is not known to what degree contact with mental health care and primary care providers can prevent suicide, the majority of individuals who die by suicide do make contact with primary care providers, particularly older adults. Given that this pattern is consistent with overall health-service-seeking, alternate approaches to suicide-prevention efforts may be needed for those less likely to be seen in primary care or mental health specialty care, specifically young men.

Family medicine · Health care · Medical emergency · Mental health · Occupational safety and health · Poison control · Primary care · Psychiatry · Specialty · Suicide prevention · Gun Ownership and Violence Research · Medicine · Mental Health Treatment and Access · Suicide and Self-Harm Studies