Year: 2010 Source: Croatian Medical Journal, v.51, no.3, (June 15, 2010), p.237-242 SIEC No: 20100456

This study evaluated an educational program for primary care physicians on the recognition & treatment of depression & suicide prevention. The study was done in 3 neighbouring Slovenian regions with similar suicide rates & other health indicators. Approximately half of the physicians in 2 of the regions invited to participate in the educational program did so. The other half & physicians in the third region did not & thus served as control groups. From 2002-2003, there was a 2.33-fold increase in the rate of antidepressant prescriptions in the educational group. A 12 percent decrease in the suicide rate in the intervention regions was not significantly greater than the 4 percent decrease in the non-intervention region. (26 refs.) JA