Managing suicide risk in primary care

Abstract

(from the cover) Roughly forty-five percent of individuals who commit suicide make contact with a primary medical provider in the month prior to their death; nearly twenty percent make contact within one day of their death. This practical guide demonstrates how the primary care setting-an increasingly important provider of mental health treatment-can be an effective place for preventing suicide and providing ameliorative care. Firmly grounded in the clinical realities of primary care, Bryan and Rudd address the key issues that often plague behavioral health consultants (BHCs) in such settings where appointments are brief, patient contact is limited, and decision making and treatment are collaborative. They offer effective strategies for BHCs to manage patients across a suicidal crisis beginning with the development of procedures prior to crisis, steps to take during a crisis, planning for post-crisis care, transition to specialty mental health facilities, and legal issues. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved).