Citation

Mospan CM, Gillette C, McKee J, Daniel SS. J. Am. Board Fam. Med. 2019; 32(6): 763-767.

Affiliation

From Wingate University School of Pharmacy, Wingate, NC (CMM); Department of Physician Assistant Studies, School of Medicine, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC (CG); Ballad Health - Woodridge Hospital, Johnson City, TN (JM); School of Medicine, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC (SSD).

Copyright

(Copyright © 2019, American Board of Family Medicine)

DOI

10.3122/jabfm.2019.06.190021

PMID

31704742

Abstract

Death by suicide is a significant public health problem, with deaths resulting from suicide increasing by 28% from 1999 to 2016.1 Of those whose died by suicide, 54% were not previously diagnosed with a mental health condition.1 Lack of a formal mental health diagnosis could be attributed to social stigma or limited access to health care.2 The United States Preventative Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommends periodic screening for depression in the general adult population, but only 2.25% to 5% of adults are screened by their primary care provider (PCP) in a given year.3⇓–5 Increasing national focus on depression and suicide, including media reports of celebrity deaths and Logic's song, “1 to 800 to 273 to 8255” (National Suicide Prevention Hotline), highlights the importance of enlisting multiple health care providers at different points of access to help identify those who are struggling with mental health symptoms and suicidal ideation.6⇓⇓–9

PCPs play an important role in screening for and identification of suicidal ideation, as they are one of most likely members of the health care team to have contact with a patient before an attempted suicide. Just 19% of patients have contact with a mental health provider in the month before attempting suicide, but 45% have contact with their PCP.10 Community pharmacists can also play an opportune role in assessing and identifying suicidal ideation in collaboration with PCPs and connecting patients with mental health care. Community pharmacists have more frequent contact with patients throughout the year ...

Language: en

Keywords

Community Medicine; Continuity of Patient Care; Mental Health; Pharmacists; Primary Health Care; Public Health; Suicidal Ideation; Suicide