Screening for and Treatment of Suicide Risk Relevant to Primary Care
Authors: Richard G. Malish, Robert L. Czech, David W. Cole
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (2013)

LettersAugust 20, 2013Screening for and Treatment of Suicide Risk Relevant to Primary CareRichard G. Malish, MD, Robert L. Czech, MD, and David W. Cole, MDRichard G. Malish, MDFrom U.S. Army Medical Activity Fort Stewart, Fort Stewart, Georgia; and 3rd Infantry Division, U.S. Army, Fort Stewart, Georgia.Search for more papers by this author, Robert L. Czech, MDFrom U.S. Army Medical Activity Fort Stewart, Fort Stewart, Georgia; and 3rd Infantry Division, U.S. Army, Fort Stewart, Georgia.Search for more papers by this author, and David W. Cole, MDFrom U.S. Army Medical Activity Fort Stewart, Fort Stewart, Georgia; and 3rd Infantry Division, U.S. Army, Fort Stewart, Georgia.Search for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-159-4-201308200-00019 SectionsAboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail TO THE EDITOR:We would like to congratulate O'Connor and colleagues (1) for their comprehensive review of the evidence in support of screening to prevent suicide. However, we do not believe that the evidence presented supports the conclusion that “primary care–feasible screening tools could probably identify adult patients at increased risk for suicide” (1). We suspect that this conclusion may be flavored by unsupported optimism.We instead believe that the 2004 U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) statement is more technically sound. Specifically, “the evidence is insufficient to recommend for or against routine screening by primary care clinicians to detect ...References1. O'Connor E, Gaynes BN, Burda BU, Soh C, and Whitlock EP. Screening for and treatment of suicide risk relevant to primary care: a systematic review for the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. Ann Intern Med. 2013;158:741-54 LinkGoogle Scholar2. U. S. Preventive Services Task Force. Screening for suicide risk: recommendation and rationale. Ann Intern Med. 2004;140:820-1 LinkGoogle Scholar3. Zoroya G. Army, Navy suicides at record high. USA Today. 18 November 2012. Accessed at www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2012/11/18/navy-suicides-army/1702403 on 15 July 2013. Google Scholar Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAffiliations: From U.S. Army Medical Activity Fort Stewart, Fort Stewart, Georgia; and 3rd Infantry Division, U.S. Army, Fort Stewart, Georgia.Disclaimer: The opinions and assertions contained herein are those of the authors and are not to be construed as official or reflecting the views of the U.S. Army Medical Activity Fort Stewart, Georgia; the 3rd Infantry Division of the U.S. Army; or the U.S. Department of Defense.Disclosures: None disclosed. PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetailsSee AlsoScreening for and Treatment of Suicide Risk Relevant to Primary Care: A Systematic Review for the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force Elizabeth O'Connor , Bradley N. Gaynes , Brittany U. Burda , Clara Soh , and Evelyn P. Whitlock Screening for and Treatment of Suicide Risk Relevant to Primary Care Elizabeth A. O'Connor , Evelyn P. Whitlock , and Bradley N. Gaynes Metrics August 20, 2013Volume 159, Issue 4Page: 307KeywordsBehaviorEmotionsSubstance abuseSuicideTouch ePublished: 20 August 2013 Issue Published: August 20, 2013 Copyright & PermissionsCopyright © 2013 by American College of Physicians. All Rights Reserved.PDF downloadLoading ...