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The Article in Brief
Suicide Inquiry in Primary Care: Creating Context, Inquiring, and Following Up
Steven D. Vannoy , and colleagues
Background Primary care visits offer an important opportunity for suicide prevention. Yet assessing a patient for potential suicide is difficult, since it is often an unstated concern. This study looks at how primary care doctors ask patients about suicide.
What This Study Found Most primary care doctors� suicide inquiries are sensitive and straightforward. Generally, physicians weave the topic of suicide into a discussion of psychosocial functioning. When patients deny suicidal thoughts, most doctors probe for more information or express support and concern for the patients' safety. In only a few instances do physicians use language that might prevent a patient from disclosing suicidal thoughts.
Implications
- Although primary care doctors inquire about suicide at low rates, most of their inquiries are sensitive, appropriate, and supportive.
- This study offers a descriptive framework that may be useful in developing educational programs to help doctors who are reluctant to ask patients about suicidal behavior.
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