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Suicide Prevention and Postvention Resources: What Psychiatry Residencies Can Learn from the Veteran’s Administration Experience

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Abstract

Suicide risk assessment and coping with the loss of a patient through suicide are two of the more challenging aspects of psychiatry residency. Over the last decade, the Department of Veterans Affairs has focused on a significant effort into the development of a comprehensive suicide prevention. This article aims to describe the initiatives and resources in place at the VHA to help address the issue of suicidal behavior in veterans and how residency programs can use this to enhance teaching of suicide prevention and postvention.

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Disclosures

On behalf of all authors, the corresponding author states that there is no conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA

    Mara Pheister & Jon Lehrmann

  2. Clement J. Zablocki VA Medical Center, Milwaukee, WI, USA

    Gina Kangas & Bertrand Berger

  3. VA National Mental Health Services, Washington, DC, USA

    Caitlin Thompson

  4. VA National Mental Health Services, Canandaigua, NY, USA

    Janet Kemp

Authors
  1. Mara Pheister
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  2. Gina Kangas
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  3. Caitlin Thompson
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  4. Jon Lehrmann
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  5. Bertrand Berger
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  6. Janet Kemp
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Mara Pheister.

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Pheister, M., Kangas, G., Thompson, C. et al. Suicide Prevention and Postvention Resources: What Psychiatry Residencies Can Learn from the Veteran’s Administration Experience. Acad Psychiatry 38, 600–604 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40596-014-0132-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40596-014-0132-9

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