Abstract
Objective
The aim of this report is to study the impact of a pilot educational event on psychiatry residents’ attitudes towards suicidal patients, understanding of their family members’ experience, and intended management of patients who died by suicide.
Methods
A panel of suicide loss survivors spoke to psychiatry residents during an educational event. Psychiatry residents who attended the event were asked to complete a survey after the event.
Results
About a third of residents (29.4 %) reported encountering a patient suicide during training. Overall, psychiatry residents subjectively felt the program had a positive impact on their understanding of suicide loss and on their attitudes towards suicide and towards engagement with family members of patients who died by suicide.
Conclusions
The data collected in this study suggest that educational programs focused on patient suicide from the surviving families’ perspective may have a positive impact on the attitudes and future practice of residents.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Fang F, Kemp J, Jawandha A, Juros J, Long L, Nanayakkara S, et al. Encountering patient suicide: a resident’s experience. Acad psychiatr. 2007;31:340–4.
Coverdale JH, Roberts LW, Louie AK. Encountering patient suicide: emotional responses, ethics, and implications for training programs. Acad psychiatr. 2007;31:329–32.
Lafayette JM, Stern TA. The impact of a patient’s suicide on psychiatric trainees: a case study and review of the literature. Harv Rev Psychiatry. 2004;12:49–55.
Bailley SE, Kral MJ, Dunham K. Survivors of suicide do grieve differently: empirical support for a common sense proposition. Suicide Life Threat Behav. 1999;29:256–71.
Kaye NS, Soreff SM. The psychiatrist’s role, responses, and responsibilities when a patient commits suicide. Am J Psychiatry. 1991;148:739–43.
Pilkinton P, Etkin M. Encountering suicide: the experience of psychiatric residents. Acad Psychiatry. 2003;27:93–9.
Disclosure
On behalf of all the authors, the corresponding author reports no conflicts of interest in relation to this report.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Jefee-Bahloul, H., Hanna, R.C. & Brenner, A.M. Teaching Psychiatry Residents About Suicide Loss: Impact of an Educational Program. Acad Psychiatry 38, 768–770 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40596-014-0077-z
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40596-014-0077-z