Resource Tag: PATIENT SUICIDE

A patient’s suicide or suicide attempt is a challenging experience for psychiatrists. This study aimed to explore the common coping strategies and habits developed by psychiatrists/trainees following such incidents. A self-administered questionnaire was distributed among participants in Saudi Arabia. The study enrolled 178 participants, of whom 38.8% experienced a patient’s suicide, 12.9% experienced a patient’s […]

Objective: The study’s objective was to examine Canadian and Australian community pharmacists’ experiences with people at risk of suicide. Methods: A survey was developed and administered online. Countries were compared by Fisher’s exact and t tests. Multivariable logistic-regression analysis was used to identify variables associated with preparedness to help someone in a suicidal crisis. Results: […]

Studies have found that 1 in 2 psychiatrists, and 1 in 5 psychologists, clinical social workers, and other mental health professionals, will lose a patient to suicide in the course of their career. This statistic suggests that losing a patient to suicide constitutes a clear occupational hazard. Despite this, most mental health professionals continue to […]

Background Patient suicides are significant events that tremendously affect psychiatrists— personally and professionally. Very few studies have focused on studying the impact of both serious suicidal attempts and completed suicide on psychiatrists and psychiatry trainees. Aim This study assessed the prevalence and impact of patient suicide and serious suicidal attempts on psychiatrists and psychiatry trainees […]

Objective: Client suicide, used to refer to situations where a mental health practitioner (MHP) is exposed, affected, or bereaved by a client’s suicide, is known to have a profound impact on MHPs. The current study investigated (1) the short- and long-term impact of client suicide and (2) to what extent gender, years of experience, therapeutic background, […]

Background: A substantial proportion of therapists experience the loss of a patient to suicide at some point during their professional life. Aims: To assess (1) the impact of a patient’s suicide on therapists distress and well-being over time, (2) which factors contribute to the reaction, and (3) which subgroup might need special interventions in the aftermath of […]

Background: Mental health and social professionals are at high risk of experiencing at least one patient suicide during their career. Aims: This paper investigates the impact of patient suicide on the reactions and working practices of mental health and social professionals. It also examines how such an impact may vary depending on the professionals’ characteristics, their relationship […]

In the UK, at least a quarter of suicides occurs in patients whilst under the care of mental health services. This study investigated the effects of such deaths on non-medical mental health clinicians. An online survey was conducted within a single NHS mental health Trust to elicit both quantitative and qualitative responses from staff across […]

Introduction As suicides among military personnel continue to climb, we sought to determine best practices for supporting military mental health clinicians following patient suicide loss (i.e., postvention). Materials and Methods We conducted a scoping review of the literature using Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews guidelines. Our initial search […]

Objective Inpatient suicides are rare incidents; however, the impacts of such events on associated families and hospital staff are severe. Therefore, preventive strategies need to focus on risk factors. Clinical management in a hospital setting must integrate the home environment and social life of patients. Nevertheless, home leaves require careful preparation. Methods Suicides were reported […]

Objective To provide a conceptual overview of how medical doctors and nurses experience patient suicide. Method A systematic search identified ten qualitative papers for this interpretive meta-synthesis. Constructs were elicited and synthesized via reciprocal translational analysis. Results Findings comprised four inter-related themes: (1) Intrinsic but taboo: patient suicide perceived as inevitable yet difficult to discuss. […]

Objectives A patient’s death by suicide is a common experience for psychiatrists, ranging from 33% to 80%, however, research about the impact of patient suicide on psychiatrists is limited to a few survey studies. This study had three main objectives: (1) understanding the emotional and behavioural impact of a patient’s suicide on psychiatrists, (2) exploring […]

Suicide is a relatively common event in those seeking psychiatric care. However, its impact is nonetheless traumatic and devastating for those involved in the care of the patient. Community mental health teams (CMHTs) address every aspect of a patient’s life, which creates a unique relationship between the team and the patient. Patient suicide can have […]

Objective: Previous research has revealed that mental health professionals (MHPs) often experience severe, yet varying, levels of short-term impact in the aftermath of client suicide. Individual differences are significant, yet what factors help explain these differences remains unclear. The current study investigated the role of the MHPs’ and the clients’ age and gender upon the impact […]

Client suicide refers to cases where a mental health practitioner is exposed, affected, or bereaved by a client’s suicide and is known to have a profound impact on MHPs. The current study investigated the role of coping styles in understanding short- and long-term impact of client suicide. An international sample of 213 mental health practitioners […]

Objective Patient suicide is a common experience in psychiatry residency, and its effects on trainees can be profound. There are currently no ACGME Common Program Requirements for education about patient suicide, and a need exists for evidence-based curricula to prepare residents for this difficult outcome. Methods A comprehensive patient suicide curriculum was developed utilizing multiple […]

Metrics Abstract This article investigates the support needed, sought, and received by professionals following a patient suicide. A self-administered questionnaire about the consequences of patient suicide and support issues was completed by 704 professionals. Profiles of support were defined using a 3-dimensional, 8-fold typology based on need for, search for, and sufficiency of support. Stress […]

There is a growing body of research investigating the impact on mental health professionals of losing a patient through suicide. However, the nature and extent of the impact is unclear. This systematic review synthesizes both quantitative and qualitative studies in the area. The aim was to review the literature on the impact of losing a […]

Inpatient suicide and self-harm attempts are two sentinel events hospitals seek to avoid. Nonetheless, each year, patients are able to commit suicide or self-harm within hospitals. While several national entities have provided guidance to reduce the risk of self-harm among inpatients, no global standard exists to address these preventable events. The objectives of this paper […]

This 2-part article summarizes what is currently known about the unique personal and professional issues experienced by clinician-survivors (clinicians who have lost patients and/or loved ones to suicide). In Part 1, I cover: the impact of losing a patient to suicide confidentiality-related constraints on the ability to discuss and process the loss legal and ethical […]

OBJECTIVE: Factors contributing to therapists’ severe distress after the suicide of a patient were investigated. METHOD: Therapists for 34 patients who died by suicide completed a semistructured questionnaire about their reactions, wrote case narratives, and participated in a workshop. RESULTS: Thirteen of the 34 therapists were severely distressed. Four factors were identified as sources of […]

Background: Mental health and social professionals are at high risk of experiencing at least one patient suicide during their career. Aims: This paper investigates the impact of patient suicide on the reactions and working practices of mental health and social professionals. It also examines how such an impact may vary depending on the professionals’ characteristics, […]

Developing and implementing consistent methodology for suicide assessment and intervention is challenging, particularly in a large community hospital which provides both inpatient care and a wide range of ambulatory and community based mental health programs. Patients, families, staff, and ongoing evaluation contributed to the development of an initiative to determine what is best practice and […]