Reducing suicides through an alliance against depression? - 02/02/12
, Tanja Neuner, M.Sc. a, Ulrich Hegerl, M.D., Ph.D. c, Göran Hajak, M.D., Ph.D. a, Hermann Spießl, M.D., Ph.D. a, bAbstract |
Background |
Since 2003, the Regensburg Alliance Against Depression, the regional partner of the German Alliance Against Depression, has been conducting a four-level intervention program to improve early detection and treatment of patients with depression, which was successfully piloted in the framework of the German Research Network on Depression and Suicidality.
Methods |
After 5 years of campaign, the suicide rates before and after the intervention were evaluated in comparison with two control regions and with the German overall rate.
Findings |
The results show that only the suicide rate in Regensburg fell significantly during the intervention period. The drop in the suicide rate was due to a significant decrease in male suicides.
Interpretation |
An intensive community-based campaign could be effective in lowering suicide rates. Especially, the combination of continuing medical educations (CMEs) for general practitioners focusing on ‘male depression’ and low-threshold campaigns for the general public seems to reach male depressive patients.
El texto completo de este artículo está disponible en PDF.Keywords : Suicide, Depression, Psychiatry, Prevention, Gender
Esquema
| Recent epidemiologic studies have found that most patients with mental illness are seen exclusively in primary care medicine. These patients often present with medically unexplained somatic symptoms and utilize at least twice as many health care visits as controls. There has been an exponential growth in studies in this interface between primary care and psychiatry in the last 10 years. This special section, edited by Jürgen Unutzer, M.D., will publish informative research articles that address primary care-psychiatric issues. |
Vol 32 - N° 5
P. 514-518 - septembre 2010 Regresar al númeroBienvenido a EM-consulte, la referencia de los profesionales de la salud.
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