Suicidal ideation in German primary care
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Suicidal ideation in German primary care. / Wiborg, Jan-Frederic; Gieseler, Dorothee; Löwe, Bernd.
In: GEN HOSP PSYCHIAT, Vol. 35, No. 4, 2013, p. 366-9.Research output: SCORING: Contribution to journal › SCORING: Journal article › Research › peer-review
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TY - JOUR
T1 - Suicidal ideation in German primary care
AU - Wiborg, Jan-Frederic
AU - Gieseler, Dorothee
AU - Löwe, Bernd
N1 - Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
PY - 2013
Y1 - 2013
N2 - OBJECTIVE: To examine suicidal ideation in a sample of German primary care patients.METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional study and included 1455 primary care patients who visited 1 of 41 general practitioners (GPs) working at 19 different sites. Suicidal ideation and psychopathology were assessed with the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ) in an anonymous screening together with health care utilization.RESULTS: One hundred seventy-one (11.8%) of 1455 patients endorsed the suicidal ideation item of the PHQ. These patients were significantly younger, more often female and unmarried, suffered more often from psychopathology and reported more health care utilization than patients without suicidal ideation. Patients with the highest frequency of suicidal ideation also talked more often routinely about psychosocial problems with their GP, used more often medication against their complaints and searched more often for a psychotherapist than other suicidal ideators. Yet, these patients were not more likely to be in psychotherapy at the time of the screening.CONCLUSION: Our data suggest that suicidal ideation is a common phenomenon in primary care, which is independently associated with psychopathology in terms of depression, anxiety and somatoform complaints. Psychosocial support from GPs and medication seem to be easier available for primary care patients with suicidal ideation than psychotherapy, independent of the severity of the suicidal ideation.
AB - OBJECTIVE: To examine suicidal ideation in a sample of German primary care patients.METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional study and included 1455 primary care patients who visited 1 of 41 general practitioners (GPs) working at 19 different sites. Suicidal ideation and psychopathology were assessed with the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ) in an anonymous screening together with health care utilization.RESULTS: One hundred seventy-one (11.8%) of 1455 patients endorsed the suicidal ideation item of the PHQ. These patients were significantly younger, more often female and unmarried, suffered more often from psychopathology and reported more health care utilization than patients without suicidal ideation. Patients with the highest frequency of suicidal ideation also talked more often routinely about psychosocial problems with their GP, used more often medication against their complaints and searched more often for a psychotherapist than other suicidal ideators. Yet, these patients were not more likely to be in psychotherapy at the time of the screening.CONCLUSION: Our data suggest that suicidal ideation is a common phenomenon in primary care, which is independently associated with psychopathology in terms of depression, anxiety and somatoform complaints. Psychosocial support from GPs and medication seem to be easier available for primary care patients with suicidal ideation than psychotherapy, independent of the severity of the suicidal ideation.
KW - Adult
KW - Aged
KW - Anxiety Disorders
KW - Cross-Sectional Studies
KW - Depressive Disorder
KW - Female
KW - Germany
KW - Health Services
KW - Humans
KW - Logistic Models
KW - Male
KW - Middle Aged
KW - Primary Health Care
KW - Questionnaires
KW - Somatoform Disorders
KW - Suicidal Ideation
KW - Suicide
U2 - 10.1016/j.genhosppsych.2013.02.001
DO - 10.1016/j.genhosppsych.2013.02.001
M3 - SCORING: Journal article
C2 - 23473475
VL - 35
SP - 366
EP - 369
JO - GEN HOSP PSYCHIAT
JF - GEN HOSP PSYCHIAT
SN - 0163-8343
IS - 4
ER -
