Encountering Patient Suicide: A Resident's Experience.
OBJECTIVE
The authors reviewed the current literature for psychiatry residents' reactions to the suicide of a patient. This review also examines the responses of training programs to residents after such an incident.


METHODS
Using Ovid Medline, the authors conducted a review of the scientific literature from 1966 to 2006, with search phrases consisting of: "patient suicide," "residency training programs," "psychiatry residents," and "therapists-in-training."


RESULTS
There are a limited number of studies exploring residents' experiences following a patient suicide. Furthermore, only two studies examined the supportive measures that U.S. psychiatry training programs provide for residents afterwards. The few studies published suggest that the suicide of a patient is quite common during training and that residents undergo significant levels of psychological stress. Residency programs have yet to establish formal training and support systems to help trainees deal with these stressors.


CONCLUSIONS
The findings from this review support further investigation into the effects of patient suicide on residents and the implementation of formal supports within psychiatry training.
Fang
Farrah
F
Department of Psychiatry, Northwestern University/McGaw Medical Center, 446 East Ontario Street, Suite 7-200, Chicago, IL 60611, USA. farrahfang@gmail.com
Kemp
Janet
J
Jawandha
Arshdeep
A
Juros
Jakub
J
Long
Laura
L
Nanayakkara
Sonali
S
Stepansky
Christian
C
Thompson
L Brian
LB
Anzia
Joan
J
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D003479:Curriculum; D004644:Emotions; D005190:Family / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D007396:Internship and Residency; D008611:Mentors / Q000523:psychology; D011570:Psychiatry / Q000193:education*; D012944:Social Support; D013405:Suicide / Q000523:psychology*