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Over 31,000 Americans die by suicide each year. Research indicates that more than 90 percent of people who die by suicide have depression or another diagnosable mental or substance abuse disorder. Many of those who have died were never diagnosed and/or never received treatment. Unfortunately, opportunities to intervene are often missed. This is especially true for older adults - studies have found that the majority of older adults who die by suicide (75%) have visited a primary care physician within a month of their suicide. We encourage all health care professionals to know the suicide warning signs and to review the additional information below. Doing so could help you save a life.
What to look for as a physician
What to do to help as a physician
What education is available as a physician?
What are researchers doing that is of interest to physicians?
What other resources are available for physicians?
Recommendations and Guidelines
- FDA Proposed Medication Guide: About Using Antidepressants in Children or Teenagers from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
- Practice Guidelines for the Assessment and Treatment of Patients with Suicidal Behaviors from the American Psychiatric Association
- Practice parameter for the assessment and treatment of children and adolescents with suicidal behavior from the National Guideline Clearinghouse
- Screening To Identify Primary Care Patients Who Are at Risk for Suicide: Recommendations from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force
- Approaching the Suicidal Patient from the American Academy of Family Physicians
- Suicide Assessment PowerPoint Presentation by Douglas Jacobs, MD, Associate Clinical Professor of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School
- Strategies to Improve Attempt Surveillance: Recommendations from an Expert Roundtable, (SPAN USA, August 2006)
National reports on suicide and suicide prevention:
- The Institute of Medicine's Reducing Suicide: A National Imperative (2002)
- The National Strategy for Suicide Prevention (2001)
- The Surgeon General's Call to Action to Prevent Suicide (1999)
Other Resources:
A CD developed by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations, which provides resources, strategies, and tips for assessing the risk of suicide in assisted living organizations, behavioral health care organizations, hospitals, and long term care organizations.