Suicide Victims’ Contacts With Physicians During the Year Before Death

This study investigated the course of contact rates of suicide victims with physicians during the year before death. Official suicide data & insurance company data were linked for 317 individuals who died by suicide between 1998-2002. Quarterly contact rates with physicians during the respective last year of life were compared. Contacts with any physicians & general practitioners generally increased over the year, most pronounced in men & in those older than 60 years. In contrast to males, female contacts to psychiatrists increased until one quarter before their suicide & then dropped significantly shortly before suicide. A pattern of contacting more than 1 general practitioner per quarter occurred significantly more often in the suicide quarter than during the year before. (32 refs.) JA