Wurst FM, Kunz I, Skipper G, Wolfersdorf M, Beine KH, Thon N. The therapist's reaction to a patient's suicide: results of a survey and implicationsfor health care professionals’well-being.
CRISIS 2011;
32:99-105. [PMID:
21602164 DOI:
10.1027/0227-5910/a000062]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
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 suicide.
METHODS
A 63-item questionnaire was sent to all 185 Psychiatric Clinics at General Hospitals in Germany. The emotional reaction of therapists to patient's suicide was measured immediately, after 2 weeks, and after 6 months.
RESULTS
Three out of ten therapists suffer from severe distress after a patients' suicide. The item "overall distress" immediately after the suicide predicts emotional reactions and changes in behavior. The emotional responses immediately after the suicide explained 43.5% of the variance of total distress in a regression analysis.
LIMITATIONS
The retrospective nature of the study is its primary limitation.
CONCLUSIONS
Our data suggest that identifying the severely distressed subgroup could be done using a visual analog scale for overall distress. As a consequence, more specific and intensified help could be provided to these professionals.
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