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

2004; Elsevier BV; Volume: 26; Issue: 5 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1016/j.genhosppsych.2004.06.007

1873-7714

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

Psychosomatic Disorders and Their Treatments

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.