April 30, 2013

Is Suicide Screening Effective? Still no Clear Answer

By Logan Lafferty

Since adults who die by suicide have often visited their primary care physician within the previous month, could routine screening for suicide by primary care physicians prevent suicides? Unfortunately, "there is not enough evidence to make a definitive recommendation for or against screening," the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force—a volunteer panel of national experts in prevention and evidence-based medicine—concludes in a draft recommendation statement. Some past research has shown that improved recognition and treatment of depression in primary care has led to decreased suicide rates," Timothy Lineberry, M.D., an associate professor of psychiatry at the Mayo Clinic and a suicide expert, told Psychiatric News.

 

Psychiatric News

Tags: depression, Dr. Timothy Lineberry, Preventive Medicine, Psychiatric News, Psychology and Psychiatry, Research, suicide, suicide prevention, suicide screening, U.S. Preventive Services Task Force

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