‘Sympathetic’ docs may stop suicides

Doctors’ understanding is pivotal to improving outcomes for older patients at risk of depression and suicidal thoughts, according to new Western Australia research.

Professor Osvaldo Almeida, a psychiatrist and director of research at the University of WA’s Centre for Health and Ageing, claimed doctors’ understanding was central, rather than focusing on improving the patient’s education about mental health.

“We wanted to examine if we could reduce the prevalence of depression and suicidal ideation among people over 60 years by providing GPs with information,” Professor Almeida said.

The West Australian reports more than 370 GPs were involved in the study, and those in the active group received a practice audit and educational material to improve their knowledge about the signs and treatments available for depression and suicidal thoughts.

GPs were provided with feedback about what they may have been missing in their consultations and where they could find information about how to manage issues they detected.

Those GPs in the control group received no specific information about depression or suicide.

Patients in the intervention group had a 10% lower prevalence of depression and self-harm behaviour compared with those in the control group.

Professor Almeida said this could not be explained by an increased use of antidepressants or referrals to mental health services.

“What else happened we are not entirely sure, but it may well be that simply training or enabling GPs to assess and talk about these issues in itself might have a therapeutic effect,” he said.

“Some advice GPs may be able to convey to participants and some level of comfort they might be able to offer during the consultation might be sufficient to reduce some of these symptoms.

“We had expected that prescriptions would have increased and expected that referrals to services would have increased but that didn’t occur.”

About 10% of people aged over 60 years of age experience clinical depression and, while fewer older people were inclined to suicidal thoughts than young people, older people were more likely to complete suicide.

If you, or someone you know, is thinking about suicide call Lifeline 13 11 14.