title: The therapist's reaction to a patient's suicide: results of a survey and implicationsfor health care professionals’well-being.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  A substantial proportion of therapists experience the loss of a patient to suicide at some point during their professional life.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To assess (1) the impact of a patient's suicide on therapists distress and well-being over time, (2) which factors contribute to the reaction, and (3) which subgroup might need special interventions in the aftermath of suicide.
  
  
  METHODS
  A 63-item questionnaire was sent to all 185 Psychiatric Clinics at General Hospitals in Germany. The emotional reaction of therapists to patient's suicide was measured immediately, after 2 weeks, and after 6 months.
  
  
  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 behavior. The emotional responses immediately after the suicide explained 43.5% of the variance of total distress in a regression analysis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The retrospective nature of the study is its primary limitation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our data suggest that identifying the severely distressed subgroup could be done using a visual analog scale for overall distress. As a consequence, more specific and intensified help could be provided to these professionals.
authors: Psychiatric University Clinic, Basel, Switzerland. f.wurst@salk.at
authors: Friedrich Martin
authors: FM
authors: Wurst
authors: Isabella
authors: I
authors: Kunz
authors: Gregory
authors: G
authors: Skipper
authors: Manfred
authors: M
authors: Wolfersdorf
authors: Karl H
authors: KH
authors: Beine
authors: Natasha
authors: N
authors: Thon