Journal article
Attitudes, Practices, and Barriers to Adolescent Suicide and Mental Health Screening: A Survey of Pennsylvania Primary Care Providers
Journal of primary care & community health, v 3(1), pp 29-35
01 Jan 2012
PMID: 23804852
Featured in Collection : UN Sustainable Development Goals @ Drexel
Abstract
Objective: To determine primary care providers' rates of screening for suicide and mental health problems in adolescents and the factors that promote or discourage this practice. Patients and Methods: Overall, 671 medical professionals (ie, pediatricians, family physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants) completed an electronic survey. The 53 items focused on (1) attitudes, knowledge, and comfort with general psychosocial and suicide screening and (2) current practices and barriers regarding screening and referrals to behavioral health services. Results: Forty percent had a patient attempt suicide in the past year, and 7.7% had 6 or more patients attempt suicide. At a well visit, 67% screened for mental health, and 35.2% screened for suicide risk. Most (61.1%) primary care providers rarely screened for suicide or only when it was indicated. Only 14.2% of primary care providers often used a standardized suicide screening tool. Factors associated with screening were being knowledgeable about suicide risk, being female, working in an urban setting, and having had a suicidal patient. Only 3.0% reported adequate compensation for these practices, and 44% agreed that primary care providers frequently use physical health billing codes for behavioral health services. Nearly 90% said parent involvement was needed if adolescents were to follow through with referrals to mental health services. Only 21% frequently heard back from the behavioral health providers after a referral was made. Conclusion: Policy that promotes mental health education for primary care providers, provides reimbursement for mental health screening, and encourages better service integration could increase suicide screening and save healthcare costs and patients' lives.
Metrics
Details
- Title
- Attitudes, Practices, and Barriers to Adolescent Suicide and Mental Health Screening: A Survey of Pennsylvania Primary Care Providers
- Creators
- Guy S. Diamond - Children's Hospital of PhiladelphiaAlana O'Malley - Childrens Hosp Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA 19104 USAMatthew B. Wintersteen - Thomas Jefferson UniversitySherry Peters - Georgetown UniversitySuzanne Yunghans - American Academy of PediatricsVirginia Biddle - Thomas Jefferson UniversityConnell O'Brien - Penn Community Providers Assoc, Harrisburg, PA USASusan Schrand - #N# 6Pennsylvania Coalition of Nurse Practitioners, Mechanicsburg, PA
- Publication Details
- Journal of primary care & community health, v 3(1), pp 29-35
- Publisher
- Sage
- Number of pages
- 7
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- Center for Family Intervention Science
- Web of Science ID
- WOS:000443117700006
- Scopus ID
- 2-s2.0-84924660389
- Other Identifier
- 991019292227004721
UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
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InCites Highlights
Data related to this publication, from InCites Benchmarking & Analytics tool:
- Collaboration types
- Domestic collaboration
- Web of Science research areas
- Primary Health Care