ArticleThe British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners2009
Primary care contact prior to suicide in individuals with mental illness.
Article in The British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners, 2009. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT03565562 (Preventing Psychological Distress and Suicidal Behaviours), which is not on this map. Cited by 58 papers.
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The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Preventing Psychological Distress and Suicidal Behaviours: a Web-based and Mobile Suicide Prevention Intervention in the General Population
Who cites it
58 citing papers in PubMed.
- The frequency of negative automatic thoughts may predict near-term suicide attempt in high-risk patients.Journal of psychiatric research · 2026Article
- A retrospective cohort study of clinical characteristics and healthcare contacts in Sweden prior to suicide in individuals with heart disease.BMC primary care · 2026Article
- "Hopeless but supported in that hopelessness": a qualitative study of how people experience talking to a GP about suicide.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2026Article
- Gambling, suicide and mental health treatment utilisation in Wales: case-control, whole-population-based study.BJPsych open · 2025Article
- Incidence of suicide within two years of a first diagnosis of depression, anxiety, or mixed anxiety and depression: an exploratory cohort study in primary care using the Clinical Practice Research Datalink.EClinicalMedicine · 2025Article
- A mixed methods longitudinal case study exploring the impact of a community-based, brief psychological intervention for men experiencing suicidal crisis.PLOS mental health · 2025Article
- Primary care contact, clinical management, and suicide risk following discharge from inpatient mental health care: a case-control study.BJGP open · 2024Article
- Recognising and Responding to Suicide-Risk Factors in Primary Care: A Scoping Review.Journal of prevention (2022) · 2024Article
- Last general practitioner consultation during the final month of life: a national medical record review of suicides in Sweden.BMC primary care · 2024Article
- Mental Manifestations and Biomarkers of Alcohol Consumption.Life (Basel, Switzerland) · 2024Review
- Article
- Recent GP consultation before death by suicide in middle-aged males: a national consecutive case series study.The British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners · 2023Article
- Unrecognised depression among older people: a cross-sectional study from Norwegian general practice.BJGP open · 2023Article
- A Cross-Sectional Study of the Prevalence and Determinants of Common Mental Health Problems in Primary Care in Switzerland.International journal of public health · 2023Article
- Risk and protective factors for suicide: a populational case-control study, Brazil, 2019.Revista de saude publica · 2023Article
- The role of context in shaping the relationship between physical health and suicide over the life course.SSM - population health · 2022Article
- Self-confidence and knowledge of suicide assessment and prevention amongst first-line health professionals in Nelson Mandela Bay, South Africa.South African family practice : official journal of the South African Academy of Family Practice/Primary Care · 2022Article
- A Case Series Study of Help-Seeking among Younger and Older Men in Suicidal Crisis.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2021Article
- Health care utilization prior to suicide in adults with drug use disorders.Journal of psychiatric research · 2021Article
- Suicide preceded by health services contact - A whole-of-population study in New Zealand 2013-2015.PloS one · 2021Article
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Authors and funding
10 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundPrevious studies have reported differing rates of consultation with GPs prior to suicide. Patients with a psychiatric history have higher rates of consultation and consult closer to the time of their death.
aimTo investigate the frequency and nature of general practice consultations in the year before suicide for patients in current, or recent, contact with secondary mental health services. DESIGN OF STUDY: Retrospective case-note study and semi-structured interviews.
settingGeneral practices in the northwest of England.
methodGeneral practice data were obtained by a retrospective review of medical records (n = 247) and semi-structured interviews with GPs (n = 159).
resultsGP records were reviewed in 247 of the 286 cases (86%). Overall, 91% of individuals (n = 224) consulted their GP on at least one occasion in the year before death. The median number of consultations was 7 (interquartile range = 3-10). Interviews were carried out with GPs with regard to 159 patients. GPs reported concerns about their patient's safety in 43 (27%) cases, but only 16% of them thought that the suicide could have been prevented. Agreement between GPs and mental health teams regarding risk of suicide was poor. Both sets of clinicians rated moderate to high levels of risk in only 3% of cases for whom information was available (n = 139) (overall kappa = 0.024).
conclusionConsultation prior to suicide is common but suicide prevention in primary care is challenging. Possible strategies might include examining the potential benefits of risk assessment and collaborative working between primary and secondary care.
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