Primary care suicide screening: the importance of comprehensive clinical assessment

Commentary on: Richards JE, Hohl SD, Whiteside U, et al . If you listen, I will talk: the experience of being asked about suicidality during routine primary care. J Gen Intern Med 2019;34:2075–82. doi: 10.1007/s11606-019-05136-x. Suicide is preventable yet worldwide ~800 000 people die by suicide every year. Suicide prevention is a global public health priority1 and primary care providers are important gatekeepers in identifying people experiencing suicidal thoughts. Factors influencing the accuracy of suicide assessment include stigma preventing disclosure and fear of consequences of disclosure. Suicidal thoughts are rarely constant, varying in their presence and severity, and may therefore …