Resident Response to Patient Suicide

Sacks, Michael H.; Kibel, Howard D.; Cohen, Alan M.; Keats, Matthew; Turnquist, Kevin

doi:10.1007/bf03399978

Cited by 19 publications

(21 citation statements)

References 5 publications

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“…This denial and disbelief can be an expression of the practitioner's shock and desire for the situation not to be real. This can be followed by the practitioner moving into a phase of depressive rumination, a search to ascertain the ‘fatal mistake’ they made in the sessions prior to the suicide (Sacks, Kibel, Cohen, Keats, & Turnquist, , p. 218).…”

Section: Prior Literaturementioning

confidence: 99%

Working with suicidal clients: Psychotherapists and allied professionals speak about their experiences

Scupham

Goss

2020

Couns and Psychother Res

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Objective To ascertain the impact that working with suicidal clients has on health professionals. Design This research study used an online survey, which covered a broad range of questions in relation to the impact of working with suicidal clients. Method A total of 110 practitioners completed the online survey. The responses were analysed using descriptive statistics and thematic analysis. Results The findings highlighted how overwhelmed practitioners felt at the time of their client's death, expressing shock, sadness, anger, guilt and helplessness. In addition, the findings revealed that even several years later practitioners were still marked by the experience, expressing statements such as, ‘you don't forget’, ‘thinking about it produces a feeling of horror’ and ‘it creates anxiety and apprehension when I encounter similar patients’. Conclusions Analysis from a mixed‐methods, pluralist perspective suggests that there is no single answer to supporting practitioners when a client dies. The research highlights that continuing professional development providers and practitioners should understand that such reactions are to be expected, and therefore prepared for. Pressures of work and lack of time were particularly emphasised as negatively impacting on respondents’ ability to take appropriate measures for their own self‐care and ability to continue to practise effectively. It is our opinion that organisations that do not take this into account are operating in a way that is short‐sighted. This adds to the likelihood of potentially serious negative effects for the personal well‐being and professional functioning of the individual practitioners directly affected.

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Section: Prior Literaturementioning

confidence: 99%

Working with suicidal clients: Psychotherapists and allied professionals speak about their experiences

Scupham

Goss

2020

Couns and Psychother Res

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“…Thus, in today's very different training milieu, most residents do not have the benefit of an intensive, individual psychotherapy to assist them in dealing with the many issues that arise in their work as psychiatrists (Goin & Kline, 1976;Rao, Meinzer, & Berman, 1997). When confronted with the unavoidably taxing aspects of therapy with suicidal patients (Brown, 1987a;Brown, 1987b;Chemtob et al, 1988;Gitlin, 1999;Goldstein & Buongiorno, 1984;Hendin et al, 2000;Henn, 1978;Horn, 1994;Jacobs, 1992;Kahne, 1968;Kolodny et al, 1979;Litman, 1965;Maltsberger, 1999;Maltsberger & Buie, 1974;Sacks, 1989;Sacks et al, 1987;Schnur & Levin, 1985;Zee, 1972), current trainees find themselves with few options to assist them in processing and working through such issues. Of course, an astute and supportive supervisor may be of great value in such situations, but he or she is no substitute for a personal psychotherapist.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…At stake may be more than simple embarrassment, guilt, or shame; indeed, one's very identity may be threatened. One such difficult moment, and, unfortunately, a moment experienced by a substantial proportion of psychiatric trainees (Brown, 1987a;Brown, 1987b;Chemtob, Hamada, Bauer, Kinney, & Torigoe, 1988;Goldstein & Buongiorno, 1984;Henn, 1978;Kahne, 1968;Sacks, 1989;Sacks, Kibel, & Cohen, 1987), occurs when a psychiatry resident's patient commits suicide. This dramatic and often unexpected event has enormous repercussions on the resident.…”

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confidence: 99%

When a Psychiatry Resident's Patient Commits Suicide: Transference Trials and Tribulations

Misch¹

2003

The Journal of the American Academy of Psychoanalysis and Dynam

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It is an unfortunate reality that a substantial proportion of psychiatry residents will experience the suicide death of one or more of their patients during the course of their training. The psychological impact of such deaths may result in marked repercussions on the treating resident; but, in addition, many other individuals and entities--resident peers, supervisors, other mental health professionals and staff, training directors, training programs, psychiatry departments--may be affected as well to a greater or lesser extent. This paper explores one manifestation of the impact on a psychiatry resident of a patient's suicide death: the activation of transference reactions and transference enactments on the part of both a resident and a residency training director. The author argues that the very breadth and depth of such transference responses offer invaluable opportunities for self-observation, psychological introspection, and personal growth if involved individuals have sufficient courage and supportive mechanisms for processing of the patient suicide and its aftermath. The failure of many current psychiatric trainees to undergo personal intensive psychotherapy is identified as a major obstacle to turning such potentially destructive experiences into learning and growth opportunities.

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“…Nurses describe feeling that the organisation holds them personally responsible for the patient's safety (O'Brien & Flöte, 1997) and Cooper (1995) and Sacks et al (1987) document the scape-goating by an organisation that often occurs following a suicide or assault.…”

Section: Pdp Nursing Is Traumatisingmentioning

confidence: 99%

The challenge of nursing personality‐disordered patients

Murphy

McVey

2003

The British Journal of Forensic Practice

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If you would like to write for this, or any other Emerald publication, then please use our Emerald for Authors service information about how to choose which publication to write for and submission guidelines are available for all. Please visit www.emeraldinsight.com/authors for more information. About Emerald www.emeraldinsight.comEmerald is a global publisher linking research and practice to the benefit of society. The company manages a portfolio of more than 290 journals and over 2,350 books and book series volumes, as well as providing an extensive range of online products and additional customer resources and services.Emerald is both COUNTER 4 and TRANSFER compliant. The organization is a partner of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and also works with Portico and the LOCKSS initiative for digital archive preservation.The paper will then outline the implications that these challenges have for a nursing service that provides care for personality-disordered patients. These include the impact upon i) the retention of staff, ii) the recruitment of staff, iii) the patients and iii) an organisation. The paper will also suggest some potential solutions to these challenges.

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Resident Response to Patient Suicide

Cited by 19 publications

References 5 publications

Working with suicidal clients: Psychotherapists and allied professionals speak about their experiences

Working with suicidal clients: Psychotherapists and allied professionals speak about their experiences

When a Psychiatry Resident's Patient Commits Suicide: Transference Trials and Tribulations

The challenge of nursing personality‐disordered patients

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