Role of Primary Care in Suicide Prevention During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Primary care providers have an important role in suicide prevention, knowing that among people who die by suicide, 83% have visited a primary care provider in the prior year, and 50% have visited that provider within 30 days of their death, rather than a psychiatrist. The psychosocial impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic poses increased risk for suicide and other mental health disorders for months and years ahead. This article focuses on screening tools, identification of the potentially suicidal patient in the primary care setting, and a specific focus on suicide prevention during widespread, devastating events, such as a pandemic. •Primary care providers have an increasingly important role in intervening with the suicidal patient surrounding times of widespread crisis, such as the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.•Practice guidelines, including using the Patient Health Questionnaire-2 and Patient Health Questionnaire-9 as assessment tools, can be further tailored by adding probing questions that are adapted to the COVID-19 pandemic.•While anxiety and fear may be normal responses to perceived threats like a pandemic, hopelessness and lack of resilience put patients at a greater risk for suicidality. The importance of emotionally connecting with the suicidal patient, and helping them to build resilience in the face of uncertainty, is highlighted.