GP and friends depression

[Bluebellysmell]

Also posted in Mental Health but I think that may be a very slow moving board

Is anyone here a GP who is able to explain what happens if someone discloses severe depression and suicidal thoughts?
Trying to convince a friend - single parent to 7yr old daughter-to seek help, but they have been told from elsewhere that the GP will be obliged to refer to Social Services and SS will remove the child due to suicidal thoughts. she says in no way would she ever harm the child and that thoughts are for when child is away with grandparents or father.
Frequently beating herself mentally and unable to concentrate, also scared she will lose job at work as job cuts on horizon.
She won't be fully honest with Drs about her mental health until she has some reassurance about what will happen with DRs and SS involvement.
She currently has what she's said is low level ADS-150mg Sertraline - which dr prescribed for anxiety, but had to stop them cold turkey 6-8 weeks back when being checked for something else at hospital,doesn't have any more left to restart until she sees GP which is likely 3 -4 weeks to get an appointment for a routine appointment and will struggle to cope until then.

Can you get her to phone The Samaritans or mental health charities who will listen and advise?

That's been tried, they don't know whether a GP is obliged to report to SS or not

If she’s been on sertraline recently she doesn’t have to see a doctor to get more. As long as she books an appointment in the next few weeks she should be able to get a prescription in the meantime.

In nearly 30 years as a GP I’ve only once had to notify SS about a depressed parent. She was stating she was definitely going to kill herself, and ended up being admitted to a psych ward.

The vast vast majority of depressed parents say they have days when they feel life’s not worth living, but they would never act on it because of the kids. Their children are a protective factor. We take their word for it, and generally don’t report to SS. Sometimes they can be offered help - health visitors, social prescribers etc - only if they want it.

Most SS referrals I make are for neglect, sadly usually mums prioritising social life and boyfriends over their kids. Also substance abuse. Not because they’re depressed.

I am a single parent to 2 children and have spoken to my GP about suicidal thoughts. I did not at that point intend to act on a plan but told her I had in recent days/ weeks had a plan with the strong intention and means to act on it but hadn’t in the end. SS were not contacted, no one was, and I wasn’t medicated for my depression and declined to be so effectively refused treatment unlike your friend. I hope that reassures her. In the meantime, this would be considered appropriate for an emergency appointment at my GP surgery, has she tried getting a same day appointment rather than having to wait weeks?

@Bluebellysmell “ GP will be obliged to refer to Social Services and SS will remove the child due to suicidal thoughts“ honestly, this is very unlikely unless your friend is very seriously mentally unwell. Suicidal thoughts are much more common than you’d think and suicidal thoughts are not the same thing as suicidal intent. I had suicidal thoughts linked to my hormonal cycle for many years and ended up having an acute crisis as a result of PND…even though I had thoughts of harming my child and myself, and had hospital psych and SW assessments, they discharged me fairly quickly back to the care of my GP and HV. SW teams have neither the need or the capacity to see every mum who has suicidal thoughts. If SW are ever needed, they are there to support ,so as long as someone is open and honest with them and engages with treatment then there isn’t going to be a problem….her worrying about them removing her child is basically an understandable part of her depressive / anxious thinking. She does need to contact her gp and ask for an URGENT appointment, sometimes it’s easier to do this via an e consult request if she struggles to talk to reception team….she needs to try and remember that the right medication and treatment can turn things around completely, she has to do that for her daughter as well as herself.