The Stress of Patient Suicidal Behavior: Implications for Interns and Training Programs in Psychology

Patient suicide can have a significant emotional impact on the training clinician. An estimated 40% of psychology trainees have a patient suicide or a patient suicide attempt. A concept of systematic response called psychological resynthesis is proposed for interns & training programs that must cope with the aftermath of patient suicides or suicide attempts. Suggestions for suicide education are made as part of a health-promotive approach to the training & clinical work environment. (29 refs.)