Abstract
Death of patients by suicide can have powerful impacts on mental health professionals (MHPs). The National Program for the Prevention of Suicidality and Suicide at Israel’s Ministry of Health decided to invest in MHPs who have lost patients by suicide. Two hundred and two MHPs completed an online self-report survey regarding their emotional response, professional identity, and clinical practice, and the aid they felt would be supportive following a patient’s suicide. Results indicated that 35% of MHP experienced at least one death of a patient by suicide. Respondents experienced difficult emotional reactions, and many felt responsible for the suicide. Nearly 50% reported that the patient’s suicide affected their clinical practice. Most respondents reported the need for a support framework and information about the processes following a patient’s suicide. It is important to increase awareness of the possibility of losing a patient by suicide and offer an appropriate supportive framework.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Journal | Omega: Journal of Death and Dying |
| Early online date | 21 Nov 2023 |
| DOIs | |
| State | E-pub ahead of print - 21 Nov 2023 |
Bibliographical note
Publisher Copyright:© The Author(s) 2023.
Funding
The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: This survey was partially financed by the Israel’s Ministry of Health, The National Program for the Prevention of Suicidality and Suicide.
| Funders | Funder number |
|---|---|
| Ministry of Health, State of Israel |
Keywords
- mental health professional
- patient suicide
- postvention
- suicide
- support needs
