Social connectedness exerts strong influences on health, including major depression and suicide. A major component of social connectedness is having individual relationships with close supports, romantic partners and other trusted members of one's social network. In this qualitative study, a semi-structured interview guide was used to probe patient experiences, views, and preferences related to social support. The study objective was to understand how individuals' relationships with close supports might be leveraged to improve outcomes for primary care patients with depression and at risk for suicide.