Suicide mitigation

摘要

It is 3 a.m. and your patient is at home, wide awake and being tormented by suicidal thoughts. What is likely to stop him ending his life and make him seek help? A complex lengthy risk assessment he underwent earlier that day or the skill and understanding of an empathic and trusted GP with whom he agreed a simple crisis plan? Every contact a suicidal individual has with a health care professional represents an opportunity to intervene and prevent that individual from going on to die by suicide. As long as suicide is seen as the preserve of specialist mental health services, opportunities for early intervention will be missed. This paper will introduce a comprehensive way of assessing and responding to patients experiencing suicidal thoughts in primary care.