Suicide prevention in primary care: General practitioners' views on service availability.



Saini, Pooja ORCID: 0000-0002-4981-7914, Windfuhr, Kirsten ORCID: 0000-0002-2022-3442, Pearson, Anna, Da Cruz, Damian, Miles, Caroline ORCID: 0000-0002-2247-8465, Cordingley, Lis ORCID: 0000-0001-7675-240X, While, David, Swinson, Nicola, Williams, Alyson ORCID: 0000-0002-6898-3248, Shaw, Jenny ORCID: 0000-0003-2569-7687
et al (show 2 more authors) (2010) Suicide prevention in primary care: General practitioners' views on service availability. BMC research notes, 3 (1). 246-. ISSN 1756-0500, 1756-0500

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Abstract

<h4>Background</h4>Primary care may be a key setting for suicide prevention. However, comparatively little is known about the services available in primary care for suicide prevention. The aims of the current study were to describe services available in general practices for the management of suicidal patients and to examine GPs views on these services. We carried out a questionnaire and interview study in the North West of England. We collected data on GPs views of suicide prevention generally as well as local mental health service provision.<h4>Findings</h4>During the study period (2003-2005) we used the National Confidential Inquiry Suicide database to identify 286 general practitioners (GPs) who had registered patients who had died by suicide. Data were collected from GPs and practice managers in 167 practices. Responses suggested that there was greater availability of services and training for general mental health issues than for suicide prevention specifically. The three key themes which emerged from GP interviews were: barriers accessing primary or secondary mental health services; obstacles faced when referring a patient to mental health services; managing change within mental health care services<h4>Conclusions</h4>Health professionals have an important role to play in preventing suicide. However, GPs expressed concerns about the quality of primary care mental health service provision and difficulties with access to secondary mental health services. Addressing these issues could facilitate future suicide prevention in primary care.

Item Type: Article
Uncontrolled Keywords: 32 Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Suicide Prevention, Mental Illness, Prevention, Behavioral and Social Science, Clinical Research, Suicide, Health Services, Mental Health, 8.1 Organisation and delivery of services, 7.3 Management and decision making, Mental health, 3 Good Health and Well Being
Depositing User: Symplectic Admin
Date Deposited: 16 Jun 2016 15:16
Last Modified: 09 Nov 2024 04:36
DOI: 10.1186/1756-0500-3-246
Open Access URL: http://bmcresnotes.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1...
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URI: https://livrepository.liverpool.ac.uk/id/eprint/3001701