Suchttherapie 2009; 10 - PO67B
DOI: 10.1055/s-0029-1240494

Therapists' reaction to patient's suicide – results of a survey and implications for health care professionals' wellbeing

N Thon 1, FM Wurst 2, I Kunz 1, G Skipper 3, M Wolfersdorf 4, KH Beine 5
  • 1Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy II, Christian Doppler Clinic, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria, Salzburg, Österreich
  • 2Psychiatric Hospital of the University Basel, Switzerland, Basel, Schweiz
  • 3Alabama Physician Health Program, Alabama, USA
  • 4State Mental Hospital Bayreuth, Germany, Bayreuth
  • 5Working Group of Directors of Psychiatric Clinics at General Hospitals in Germany (ACKPA), Hamm

Context: A substantial proportion of therapists will experience at some point of their professional life the loss of a patient to suicide.

Objectives: To assess a) the impact of a patient's suicide on therapists distress and wellbeing over time, b) which factors contribute to the reaction and c) which subgroup might need special interventions in the aftermath of suicide.

Design: A 63 item questionnaire, characterizing the therapists, their reactions and the patients was developed and sent out.

Setting: All 185 Psychiatric Clinics at General Hospitals in Germany.

Participants: Therapists (psychiatrists, psychologists) in Psychiatric Clinics.

Main Outcome Measures: The emotional reaction of therapists to patient's suicide immediately, after 2 weeks and 6 months, respectively.

Results: Three out of ten therapists suffer from severe distress after a patients' suicide. The item „overall distress“ immediately after the suicide predicts emotional reactions and changes in behaviour. The emotional responses immediately after the suicide explained 43.5% of the variance of total distress in a regression analysis.

Conclusion: Our data suggest that identifying the severely distressed subgroup could be done using a visual analogue scale for overall distress. As a consequence, more specific and intensified help could be provided to these professionals.