title: Recent general practice contacts of hospitalised suicide attempters.
abstract: This study investigated the timing of recent medical contact in 150 patients hospitalised for a suicide attempt. The research also examined the proportion of attempters complaining of feeling depressed or suicidal to their doctor at that recent consultation. Seventy-three percent of attempters had seen their doctor in the past three months. Contact with general practitioners was most common in the week before their attempt with 32% of all attempters visiting their doctor during this time and 56% visiting in the previous month. Of those attempters who had consulted their general practitioner prior to their attempt, only 35% had complained about feeling depressed or suicidal to their doctor. Several factors that hinder the successful identification of suicidal risk in the general practitioner-patient relationship are identified. The implications of these findings for suicide prevention are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychological Medicine, Waikato Hospital, Hamilton.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Petrie
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003142:Communication; D005194:Family Practice; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D007175:Impulsive Behavior; D008297:Male; D009819:Office Visits / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D013406:Suicide, Attempted / Q000523:psychology*; D013997:Time Factors