Citation

Henry M, Seguin M, Drouin MS. Psychiatr. Danub. 2006; 18(Suppl 1): 107.

Affiliation

Research and Intervention Center for Suicide and Euthanasia (CRISE), C.P. 8888, Succ. Centre-Ville, H3C 3P8 Montreal, Canada. henrymel@total.net.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2006, Facultas Universitatis Studiorum Zagrabiensis - Danube Symposion of Psychiatry)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

16964052

Abstract

Many studies examine the repercussions of suicide on relatives of the deceased, but very few depict the impact on mental health professionals. The present study constitutes the first empirical research on this theme in Quebec, Canada; a research comprising of 125 mental health professionals that have lost a patient by suicide in their practice, including psychiatrists, psychologists and nurses in psychiatry. Even though the death of a patient by suicide represents a significant event when it occurs in the professional sphere of mental health workers, they adapt relatively well to this event and use many sources of support in their adaptation process. The results indicate that mental health professionals will not generally be in grief following the event, but 44% manifest acute stress reactions in the first month. The death of a patient by suicide also triggers many changes in the professional's ulterior clinical practice, which merit further attention since these changes can impact the quality of care provided to patients. Finally, the presentation suggests potential research avenues and presents clinical implications for mental health professional associations.

Language: en