The Caregiver’s Reactions After Suicide of a Patient (IN: Suicide Prevention: The Global Context. Proceedings of the 19th Congress of the IASP, March 1997, ed. by R J Kosky et al)

A study of the emotional reactions of caregivers after a patient suicide is described. 3 groups of caregivers (psychotherapists who experienced a patient suicide, doctors who had experienced patient suicide & doctors experiencing the death of a patient) answered a questionnaire of 15 yes-no items & 3 open-ended questions. A comparison of the 3 groups revealed similar results – more than 80% became more cautious & spoke to colleagues after the event. Psychotherapists more often had felt guilt.