Download - New York State Office of Mental Health

Saving Lives in New York Volume 2: Approaches and Special Populations
acknowledged that the front-line physician
is no more responsible for effecting the
patient's acceptance of such a referral than
that of any other referral to a specialist.
Given that there are approximately 150,000
suicide attempts by teenagers in New York
State each year (though only 70 completed
suicides), the pediatricians would face a
significant work load increase in accordance
with such a practice of inquiry; other
primary-care physicians might not be similarly
affected.
There is no question but that inquiring
about suicidal thoughts in the course of
routine visits represents a significant departure
from current practice. Therefore, some
resources must be dedicated to making it
possible. The most direct is the provision of
at least annual lectures to residents and to
departmental physicians.
In the context of the national awareness of
suicide, inaugurated three years ago in the
Surgeon General's Report on Mental Health
and likely to be given particular emphasis
by the current President in his upcoming
public health initiatives, it is not unlikely
that pharmaceutical companies would be
willing to underwrite such an effort. The
goal, after all, is to reduce the rate of suicide
in this state and to set a model for the
rest of the nation.
6 A Message to the Physicians of New York State