Opportunities for suicide prevention in the general medical setting

People who complete suicide are in contact with general medical services frequently in the year before their death. The high rate of medical contacts in the year before suicide and evidence that psychiatric conditions are under-diagnosed suggests that a significant opportunity for suicide prevention exists in the general medical setting. This article makes several recommendations to seize this opportunity with the aim of reaching as many patients as possible, ensuring early diagnosis and treatment of mental health problems and providing compassionate care to those who most need it.