Suicide victims unable to talk to doctors

Young people who attempt or commit suicide feel unable to discuss their problems with a doctor, according to a study in the British Medical Journal. Only a fifth of suicide victims under 35 in the Avon area had visited their GP in the month before they died. The Department of Health is relying on GPs to identify patients at risk because of concern at the rapid increase in the number of cases. The suicide rate in Avon in people under 35 is four times higher than in Bristol in the 1960s. However, the study suggests the GP's role is limited.