Suicide and the creation of evidence-based guidelines: the ACEP perspective

The American College of Emergency Physicians, as well as most emergency physicians, recognize that suicide is a national epidemic [1]. Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death for all ages combined [1], and from 1999 to 2016, suicide rates rose by 28% nationally [2]. Most patients have seen a physician prior to their suicide [3,4], and many of these patients have seen this physician in the emergency department (ED) [5-7]. In fact, “mental disorders” was the 9th leading diagnosis made in emergency department patients in 2015 [8].

Source: The American Journal of Emergency Medicine - July 8, 2019 Category: Emergency Medicine Authors: Paul D. Kivela Source Type: research