The Loss of a Therapist through Suicide

Ables, Billie S.

doi:10.1016/s0002-7138(09)61337-6

Cited by 8 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 11 publications

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“…The immediate grief reactions of the 12 participants to their therapist's suicide parallel many of the general trends exhibited by survivors of unanticipated deaths and survivors of suicides (Barrett & Scott, 1990;Dunn & Morrish-Vidners, 1987-1988Hauser, 1987;van der Wal, 1989van der Wal, -1990. Initial reacLions of participants in this study were also similar to participants in Ballenger's (1978), Ables's (1974), and Chile's (1974) studies who survived their psychiatrists' suicides. All participants, including ones in the present study, experienced varying degrees of abandonment and depression, a need for a cause or reason for the suicide, and a sense that they could have somehow prevented the suicide.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 59%

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Patients' Reactions to the Suicide of a Psychotherapist

Reynolds,

Jennings,

Branson

1997

Suicide & Life Threat Behav

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This descriptive exploratory study examines the behavioral and affective reactions of clients to the suicide of their psychotherapist 1 year after the event, including remembered responses upon first hearing of the suicide. Initial grief reactions of participants were found to be similar to other suicide survivors with strong attachments to the deceased, including depression, numbness, anger, hopelessness, and panic. One year after the event, several participants continued to discuss the event with friends, had persistent feelings of depression and abandonment, and continued to deny the death as a suicide. A reluctance to reenter therapy was also reported. Almost all participants stated that suicide was an acceptable solution to some problems. These results suggest the potential existence of pathological grief for many participants in this study. Implications for the mental health community and intervention services for patient survivors are discussed.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 59%

“…Two studies (Ballenger, 1978;Chiles, 1974), examined the reactions of adult patients to the suicides of their female psychiatrists. A third study, by Ables (1974). described the reactions of a 10-year-old boy to the self-inflicted shooting of his male psychiatrist.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Patients' Reactions to the Suicide of a Psychotherapist

Reynolds,

Jennings,

Branson

1997

Suicide & Life Threat Behav

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“…There has been, for example, a report of the immediate impact of a therapist's suicide on a 10 year old boy (Ables, 1974) as well as a report of the impact of a therapist's suicide on two adolescent patients who were in a hospital at the time (Graves, 1978). …”

Section: Case Reports Of the Impact Of Therapist Suicide On Patientsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Psychologists, however, have not been included as an occupational category in the epidemiological studies referenced above. The majority of the published literature on suicide among psychologists consists of uncontrolled case reports describing patient reactions to the loss of a therapist (Ables, 1974; Ballenger, 1978; Chiles, 1974; Graves, 1978; Reynolds, Jennings, & Branson, 1997; Soreff, 1975) and commentaries (Dunne, 1987; Guy & Liaboe, 1985; Lester, 1989) rather than empirical research.…”

Section: Literature Review On Psychologist Suicidementioning

confidence: 99%

“…A number of case reports about the impact of a therapist's suicide on his or her patients were published in the 1970s and were previously reviewed by Dunne (1987). There has been, for example, a report of the immediate impact of a therapist's suicide on a 10-year-old boy (Ables, 1974) as well as a report of the impact of a therapist's suicide on two adolescent patients who were in a hospital at the time (Graves, 1978).…”

Section: Case Reports Of the Impact Of Therapist Suicide On Patientsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Psychologist suicide: Incidence, impact, and suggestions for prevention, intervention, and postvention.

Kleespies

Orden

Bongar

et al. 2011

Professional Psychology: Research and Practice

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Psychologist practitioners are not immune to some mental health problems, including suicidality, for which they provide services. In the aftermath of two recent psychologist suicides, the American Psychological Association's Advisory Committee on Colleague Assistance (ACCA) initiated the formation of a conjoint ad hoc committee consisting of members from ACCA, the American Psychological Association (APA) Practice Directorate, and the Section on Clinical Emergencies and Crises (Section VII of APA's Division 12) to investigate the incidence of psychologist suicide and its impact on colleagues, students or interns, patients or clients, and the profession. The committee reviewed the extant empirical literature on suicide rates for psychologists, evaluated unpublished data on psychologist suicide provided by the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), interviewed colleague survivors, reviewed published case reports of the impact of therapist suicides, and linked their findings to the literature on professional distress, impairment, and self-care. The committee concluded that there is evidence suggestive of an elevated risk of suicide for psychologists in past decades. It further concluded that there is a need for further research to confirm if there is a heightened risk of suicide for psychologists in the present day, and to determine factors that might contribute to such risk.

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Physician Suicide

Preven

1983

The Impaired Physician

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The Loss of a Therapist through Suicide

Cited by 8 publications

References 11 publications

Patients' Reactions to the Suicide of a Psychotherapist

Patients' Reactions to the Suicide of a Psychotherapist

Psychologist suicide: Incidence, impact, and suggestions for prevention, intervention, and postvention.

Physician Suicide

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