Family physicians play a pivotal role in preventing suicides in Canada. As gatekeepers, they are often best positioned to identify those who may be at risk for suicide and able to provide or link those at risk with the care they so desperately need. We also know that those who die by suicide frequently had contact with a health care provider in the weeks and months prior to their death.
It is important for family physicians to have a firm understanding of suicide prevention, assessment, intervention, safety planning, local resources, and how to make effective referrals. Building upon this, family physicians need to be alert and attentive to possible risk factors, warnings signs, and reports of physiological symptoms from their patients even in the absence of any reported suicidal behaviours.