[Knowledge and attitude of the practicing physician about the theme of suicide]

A questionnaire was sent to general practitioners in order to evaluate their knowledge and attitudes about suicide and suicide prevention. Our hypothesis was that many physicians do not sufficiently recognize the medical dimension of this problem and that their knowledge is insufficient. The results show that the physicians are generally well aware of the medical dimension and thus of their potential role in the prevention of suicide. However, they do not feel competent in managing suicidal patients, and we found serious gaps in their knowledge. Most physicians showed interest in further training. In view of these results as well as the frequency of suicidal behaviour it appears clearly necessary to give more weight to the teaching of knowledge and skills of suicide prevention in medical schools.