Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

What Do We Teach Psychiatric Residents About Suicide? A National Survey of Chief Residents

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Academic Psychiatry Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Objective

Because of the clinical significance of patient suicide for trainees and current limited information on this essential educational subject, the authors sought to determine what topics involving the care of suicidal patients were taught to residents in psychiatry training programs.

Methods

Chief residents of psychiatry training programs across the United States (response rate 59%) anonymously completed questions on what and how the care of suicidal patients was taught. Topics that required more attention and barriers to teaching were also identified.

Results

A vast majority of the national programs (91%) offered formal teaching on suicide care; grand rounds (85%) and case conferences (80%) were also popular methods for teaching. Even the topics most commonly taught, such as risk factors, recognizing early warning signs, and standards of clinical care, were judged to warrant more attention by many residents. Commonly identified barriers to teaching included the lack of audio or video teaching materials and relevant texts. Only 19% of chief residents reported that they felt prepared for the possibility of having to manage the aftermath of a patient suicide.

Conclusion

The chief residents identified a need for programs to focus even more attention on teaching of the care of suicidal patients in training programs.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control: Web-based Injury Statistics Query and Reporting System (WISQARS). Available at www.cdc.gov/ncipc/wisqars

  2. Moscicki EK: Epidemiology of completed and attempted suicide: toward a framework for prevention. Clin Neurosci Res 2001; 1: 310–323

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Mann JJ, Apter A, Bertolote J, et al: Suicide prevention strategies: a systematic review. JAMA 2005; 294: 2064–2074

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Chemtob CM, Hamada RS, Bauer G, et al: Patients’ suicides: frequency and impact on psychiatrists. Am J Psychiatry 1988; 145: 224–228

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Brown HN: Patient suicide during residency training (I): incidence, implications, and program response. J Psychiatr Education 1987; 11: 201–216

    Google Scholar 

  6. Pilkington P, Etkin M: Encountering suicide: the experience of psychiatric residents. Acad Psychiatry 2003; 27: 93–99

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Ruskin R, Sakinofsky I, Bagby RM, et al: Impact of patient suicide on psychiatrists and psychiatric trainees. Acad Psychiatry 2004; 28: 104–110

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Kozlowska K, Nunn K, Cousens P: Adverse experiences in psychiatric training, part 2. Aust N Z J Psychiatry 1997; 31: 641–652

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Lomax JW: A proposed curriculum on suicide care for psychiatry residency. Suicide Life Threat Behav 1986; 16: 56–64

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Ellis TE, Dickey TO, Jones DO: Patient suicide in psychiatry residency programs: a national survey of training and postvention practices. Acad Psychiatry 1998; 22: 181–189

    Google Scholar 

  11. Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education: Program list of programs by specialty. Available at http://www.acgme.org/adspublic/

  12. Schneidman ES: Suicide as Psychache: A Clinical Approach to Self-Destructive Behavior. Northvale, NJ, Jason Aronson, 1993

    Google Scholar 

  13. Fang F, Kemp J, Jawandha A, et al: Encountering patient suicide: a resident’s experience. Acad Psychiatry 2007; 31: 340–344

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Balon R: Encountering patient suicide: the need for guidelines. Acad Psychiatry 2007; 31: 336–337

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Schwartz AC, Kaslow NJ, McDonald WM: Encountering patient suicide: a requirement of the residency program curriculum. Acad Psychiatry 2007; 31: 338–339

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Sudak H: Encountering patient suicide: the role of survivors. Acad Psychiatry 2007; 31: 333–335

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Coverdale JH, Roberts LW, Louie AK: Encountering patient suicide: emotional responses, ethics, and implications for training programs. Acad Psychiatry 2007; 31: 329–332

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza BCM 350, Houston, TX, 77030, USA

    Bengi B. Melton M.D. & John H. Coverdale M.D.

Authors
  1. Bengi B. Melton M.D.
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. John H. Coverdale M.D.
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Bengi B. Melton M.D..

Additional information

Manuscripts authored by an editor of Academic Psychiatry or a member of its editorial or advisory board undergo the same editorial review process, including blinded peer review, applied to all manuscripts. Additionally the editor is recused from all editorial decision making.

At the time of submission, the authors disclosed no competing interests.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Melton, B.B., Coverdale, J.H. What Do We Teach Psychiatric Residents About Suicide? A National Survey of Chief Residents. Acad Psychiatry 33, 47–50 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ap.33.1.47

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ap.33.1.47

Keywords

Search

Navigation