Owen Julie Ruth, Pheister Mara, Simons Gregory J
Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine, Medical College of Wisconsin.
Director of Residency Training, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine, Medical College of Wisconsin.
MedEdPORTAL. 2018 Nov 28;14:10776. doi: 10.15766/mep_2374-8265.10776.
The loss of a patient to suicide is a common experience among mental health practitioners and trainees. Research suggests that younger, less experienced clinicians are often most keenly affected by the experience. Given the prevalence of patient loss to suicide and the subsequent emotional aftermath, our goal in creating a multidisciplinary suicide symposium was to provide a safe, structured environment where trainees and mental health practitioners could obtain collegial support and education to reduce the stigma surrounding patient suicide.
Mental health trainees and practitioners (including medical students, nurse practitioner students, psychiatry residents, psychology interns, and practicing psychologists and psychiatrists) were invited to a 4-hour symposium. The curriculum focused on assessment of risk and possible interventions, as well as addressing the loss of a patient to suicide. Teaching methods included a PowerPoint lecture; case-based, small-group discussion; and role-play. Attendees completed numbered, anonymous surveys looking at attitudes about loss and suicide before and after the symposium.
Of 35 total attendees, 22 completed both pre- and postsymposium surveys. Paired tests revealed several statistically significant increases, including increases in comfort seeking support from a colleague after losing a patient to suicide ( = .043) and comfort seeking support from a professional after losing a patient to suicide ( = .030).
The symposium appears to have had the desired effect of increasing attendees' comfort working with patients at risk for suicide, as well as their comfort reaching out for support from others following the loss of a patient to suicide.
患者自杀身亡是心理健康从业者和实习生的常见经历。研究表明，年轻且经验不足的临床医生往往最容易受到这种经历的影响。鉴于患者自杀身亡的普遍性以及随之而来的情感后果，我们举办多学科自杀专题研讨会的目的是提供一个安全、结构化的环境，让实习生和心理健康从业者能够获得同行支持和教育，以减少围绕患者自杀的耻辱感。
邀请心理健康实习生和从业者（包括医学生、执业护士学生、精神科住院医师、心理学实习生以及执业心理学家和精神科医生）参加为期4小时的专题研讨会。课程重点是风险评估和可能的干预措施，以及应对患者自杀身亡的情况。教学方法包括PowerPoint讲座、基于案例的小组讨论和角色扮演。与会者在专题研讨会前后完成了编号的匿名调查，以了解他们对损失和自杀的态度。
在总共35名与会者中，22人完成了专题研讨会前后的调查。配对检验显示了几个具有统计学意义的增加，包括在患者自杀身亡后向同事寻求支持的舒适度增加（P = 0.043）以及在患者自杀身亡后向专业人士寻求支持的舒适度增加（P = 0.030）。
该专题研讨会似乎产生了预期效果，提高了与会者与有自杀风险的患者合作的舒适度，以及他们在患者自杀身亡后向他人寻求支持的舒适度。
