What is the prevalence of the experience of death of a patient by suicide among medical students and residents? A systematic review.

OBJECTIVE

The purposes of this study were to examine the literature on the proportion of medical students and residents who experience the death of a patient by suicide and to identify curricula with data on outcomes that assist medical students or residents in preparing for or managing the psychological stress in dealing with those suicides.

METHODS

The authors searched PubMed, Scopus, Google Scholar, and ScienceDirect databases using search terms patient suicide, trainee, medical student, and resident. They conducted a separate search to identify relevant curricula using the same terms in combination with coping, teaching, programs, and education.

RESULTS

Eight studies met inclusion criteria, all of which concerned psychiatry residents alone. We found no studies that determined the prevalence of the experience of death of a patient by suicide among medical students or residents in specialties other than psychiatry. The prevalences were 31, 33, 43, 47, 54, 61, 68, and 69 %. All studies were cross-sectional, and none collected data prospectively. Limitations of these data included single-site studies, lack of clarity of the specific question asked, low response rates, and uncertain reporting periods. The authors found two curricula with outcome data that assisted medical trainees in managing the psychologically distressing consequences of the death of a patient.

CONCLUSION

Although the data are limited, psychiatry residents commonly experience the death of a patient by suicide. There is a paucity of data on this topic concerning the experiences of medical students and of residents in other specialties.