Suicide risk before mental health treatment initiation: Implications for screening and access to care (O’Reilly et al., 2023)
Takeaways:
- People who have been referred to mental health care and are waitlisted are an identified group with suicide risk.
- Challenges in the health care system, such as shortages of mental health professionals, that contribute to long waitlists need to be addressed.
- Exploring care coordination and options outside the traditional clinical and health care settings may is crucial. Engaging community-based organizations may be a strategy to help remove structural barriers to care and address barriers for some people related to the experience of trauma and racism experienced in more traditional health services.