UNITED KINGDOM: Mental health training for General Practitioners praised for “saving lives” by suicide prevention campaigners
October 09, 2015
After receiving training in how to discuss suicide with patients who might be at risk for suicide, General Practitioners (GPs) in Hertfordshire, England made significantly more referrals to mental health services. More than 90 percent of the physicians who received the training considered it relevant and useful. Andy Bell, deputy chief executive at the Centre for Mental Health, which helped to evaluate the program, explained the significance of effective training for doctors: “When GPs feel more capable and confident, they can ask the right questions in helpful ways. Then, they can support people in the immediate and longer term and feel more comfortable referring those in immediate need of help.” Based on the results of the Hertfordshire initiative and other physician training programs in nearby communities, authors of the report concluded that there is a strong need for more such training “across the whole system.”
Spark Extra! Read the report: Aiming for “Zero Suicides”: An Evaluation of a Whole System Approach to Suicide Prevention in the East of England.