Screening for Suicide May Save a Life

By Marlene Storz, MSDH, RDH, and Eric D. Bothwell, DDS, MPH, MA, PhD

Dental hygienists are equipped with the skills to identify many risk factors associated with the most common causes of death in the United States, including self-injury or suicide (Table 1).¹ The assessment phase of observing patients, reviewing health histories, determining vital signs, and completing an oral cancer screening provides opportunities to identify risk factors associated with suicide. Research has demonstrated that a high proportion of individuals who die by suicide communicate their suicidal thoughts or intent to someone before their fatal act.^2,3 By learning to identify the signs of suicide during dental visits, oral health professionals can partner with primary care providers, mental health professionals, and local and national resources to forge a partnership in addressing this preventable global public health problem.⁴

* References can be found in the original article via the link below.
Read Article