Addressing suicide risk in emergency department patients

Résumé

Comments on an article by M. Olfson et al. (2014). In their viewpoint, Dr Olfson and colleagues called for "enhanced training of emergency physicians in the management of suicidal patients and patients with deliberate self harm" due to the "shortages of mental health specialists in emergency medical settings." Although starting medication earlier in the emergency department rather than later at follow-up intuitively should be beneficial to patients, a randomized clinical trial confirming benefit could prompt emergency medicine physicians to identify more depressed patients in the emergency department. Similarly, consensus on how to assess suicide risk would be helpful. A study comparing measures of suicide risk could help standardize and improve the care of suicidal patients in the emergency department. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved) HÔPITAL URGENCE DÉPISTAGE POTENTIEL-SUICIDAIRE ÉVALUATION-CLINIQUE ARGUMENT