Suicide Symposium: A Multidisciplinary Approach to Risk Assessment and the Emotional Aftermath of Patient Suicide

Abstract

IntroductionThe loss of a patient to suicide is a common experience among mental health practitioners and trainees. Research suggests that younger, less experienced clinicians are often most keenly affected by the experience. Given the prevalence of patient loss to suicide and the subsequent emotional aftermath, our goal in creating a multidisciplinary suicide symposium was to provide a safe, structured environment where trainees and mental health practitioners could obtain collegial support and education to reduce the stigma surrounding patient suicide.MethodsMental health trainees and practitioners (including medical students, nurse practitioner students, psychiatry residents, psychology interns, and practicing psychologists and psychiatrists) were invited to a 4-hour symposium. The curriculum focused on assessment of risk and possible interventions, as well as addressing the loss of a patient to suicide. Teaching methods included a PowerPoint lecture; case-based, small-group discussion; and role-play. Attendees completed numbered, anonymous surveys looking at attitudes about loss and suicide before and after the symposium.ResultsOf 35 total attendees, 22 completed both pre- and postsymposium surveys. Paired t tests revealed several statistically significant increases, including increases in comfort seeking support from a colleague after losing a patient to suicide (p = .043) and comfort seeking support from a professional after losing a patient to suicide (p = .030).DiscussionThe symposium appears to have had the desired effect of increasing attendees' comfort working with patients at risk for suicide, as well as their comfort reaching out for support from others following the loss of a patient to suicide.

Performing Arts in Suicide Prevention Strategies: A Scoping Review

“…The selected studies are characterized by their extreme heterogeneity in terms of study design, type and size of populations studied, their purpose, and outcomes. Of the 35 included studies, most of them were observational studies without a control group ( n = 22) [ 30 , 50 , 72 , 73 , 74 , 75 , 76 , 77 , 78 , 79 , 80 , 81 , 82 , 83 , 84 , 85 , 86 , 87 , 88 , 89 , 90 , 91 ], four were quasi-experimental prospective controlled studies [ 92 , 93 , 94 , 95 ], four were cross-sectional studies [ 96 , 97 , 98 , 99 ] and five were randomized control trials (RCTs) [ 18 , 100 , 101 , 102 , 103 ].…”

Cuando la memoria se hace opaca y solo el dolor fulgura: abordaje sanitario del fenómeno suicida en Las vírgenes suicidas (1999) de Sofia Coppola

“…La medicina preventiva juega un papel muy importante pues puede orientar las campañas de promoción de la salud mental, los programas escolares y comunitarios para mejorar el reconocimiento de los factores de riesgo de suicidio y en la disminución de la estigmatización de enfermedades mentales, como la depresión 10 .…”

“…Por lo tanto, los médicos al ser unos de los primeros contactos con las personas con tendencias suicidas, deben desarrollar la capacidad diagnóstica para identificar signos y factores de riesgo en personas con mayor susceptibilidad a desarrollar una conducta autolesiva e implementar un manejo terapéutico 8 . Ya que las estrategias preventivas buscan la evaluación de las perspectivas de las personas con tendencias suicidas para ofrecer asesoría y acompañamiento, si Armonson se hubiese apoyado en otros profesionales de la salud para atender adecuadamente a Cecilia y su familia, posiblemente se hubiera prevenido el segundo intento suicida 10 .…”

“…Desde la prevención primaria, en la actualidad, de manera continua se ofrecen en diversas partes del mundo los talleres y diplomados para el abordaje del riesgo suicida dirigido al personal sanitario 10 , sin embargo, es posible que en la época en la que se desarrolla la trama no se contara con ese tipo de apoyo.…”

Suicide Assessment and Management Team-Based Learning Module

“…One available resource, developed by Owen, Pheister, and Simons, covers a multidisciplinary approach to risk assessment and the emotional aftermath of patient suicide. 10 This resource includes a PowerPoint lecture, a case-based small-group discussion, and role-play used throughout a 4-hour symposium. There is also a team-based learning (TBL) module available in MedEdPORTAL that focuses on suicide risk assessment but does not address the clinical management and major treatment strategies for a suicidal patient.…”