This study ascertained physician characteristics associated with exploring suicidality in patients with depressive symptoms & the influence of patient antidepressant requests. 152 primary care physicians randomly recruited in California & New York participated. Standardized patients made unannounced visits between May 2003-May 2004. Suicide was explored in 36% of 298 encounters. Exploration was more common when the patient portrayed major depression versus adjustment disorder, with an antidepressant request versus no request, in academic settings, & among physicians with personal experience with depression. A random effects logistic model indicated there were additional, unspecified physician factors determining the tendency to explore suicide risk. (42 refs.)