The British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners
-
Primary care consultation patterns prior to suicide: a nationally representative case-control study.
Consultation with primary healthcare professionals may provide an opportunity to identify patients at higher suicide risk. ⋯ Escalating or more than monthly consultations are associated with increased suicide risk regardless of patients' sociodemographic characteristics and regardless of the presence (or absence) of known psychiatric illnesses.
-
Routine primary care data may be a valuable resource for preconception health research and informing provision of preconception care. ⋯ Findings demonstrate that routinely collected UK primary care data can be used to identify patients preconception care needs. Linking primary care data with health outcomes collected in other datasets is underutilised but could help quantify how optimising preconception health and care can reduce adverse outcomes for mothers and children.
-
Many patients with depressive disorders use antidepressants longer than clinically indicated. Long-term use of antidepressants is associated with high individual and societal costs. Patients often perceive antidepressant discontinuation as challenging. ⋯ Patients prefer to discontinue antidepressants within structured frameworks that provide information and support. Identified facilitators and barriers may help optimise appropriate use and discontinuation of antidepressants in routine practice. Promoting functional expectations and specifying individualised approaches to minimise dysfunctional expectations, adapted to patients' previous experiences, appear to be especially important.