The authors’ aims were to assess how therapists react to patient’s suicide over time & which factors contribute to the reactions. One third of the therapists, mostly women, suffer from severe distress. The impact is not different for therapists in institutional settings & therapists in private practice. The item “overall distress” immedicately after the suicide predicts emotional reactions & changes in behaviour. Data suggest that identifying the severely distressed subgroup could be done using a visual analogue scale for overall distress. As a consequence, more specific & intensified help could be provided to these individuals. (29 refs.) JA