The British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners
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General practitioners (GPs) need to be aware of the risk factors for suicide. GP records may provide clues to identifying the relative importance of such risk factors. ⋯ Females at risk of suicide are more likely than males to have been diagnosed and treated for mental illness. It is likely that GPs are under-diagnosed and under-treating males at risk. Data from the GPRD give comparable results to those from other studies. The GPRD is a potentially useful tool for research into relatively uncommon events in general practice.