Matthews K, Milne S, Ashcroft G W
Department of Mental Health, University of Aberdeen.
Br J Gen Pract. 1994 Aug;44(385):345-8.
It is generally assumed that people committing suicide see their doctor shortly before their death, and consequently that enhancing doctors' psychiatric knowledge and interview skills might help prevent some suicides.
A study was undertaken to determine the nature and timing of final contacts with medical practitioners by people committing suicide.
Adults dying by suicide in Scotland during 1988-89 were identified by the General Register Office for Scotland and their primary care case notes studied.
Within this national sample, medical contact near to the time of the suicidal act was rare, except for those individuals who had a previous psychiatric history.
These data suggest that medical practitioners, particularly those working in primary care, are not failing to detect and intervene in significant numbers of preventable suicides. Consequently, the likelihood of implementing successful suicide prevention strategies based within primary care is open to question. Greater awareness of the risk of eventual suicide in those with a previous history of psychiatric disorder may contribute to any future reduction in suicide rates.
人们普遍认为，自杀者在死前不久会去看医生，因此提高医生的精神病学知识和问诊技巧可能有助于预防一些自杀行为。
开展一项研究以确定自杀者与医生最后接触的性质和时间。
苏格兰总登记处识别出1988 - 1989年间在苏格兰自杀身亡的成年人，并研究他们的初级保健病历。
在这个全国性样本中，除了那些有精神病史的个体外，在自杀行为发生时间附近与医生接触的情况很少见。
这些数据表明，医生，尤其是那些从事初级保健工作的医生，并没有未能发现并干预大量可预防的自杀行为。因此，在初级保健机构实施成功的自杀预防策略的可能性值得怀疑。对有精神病史者最终自杀风险有更高的认识，可能有助于未来自杀率的降低。
