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Pérez-Solà V, Ayuso JL, Borrás-Murcia C, Elices M, Campillo M, Giner L, González-Pinto A, Guija JA, Navío M, Palao D, Saiz P. Second victim experience in Spanish psychiatrists coping with patient suicide: A call for postvention. Span J Psychiatry Ment Health 2023:S2950-2853(23)00111-4. [PMID: 38008184 DOI: 10.1016/j.sjpmh.2023.11.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2023] [Revised: 10/25/2023] [Accepted: 11/21/2023] [Indexed: 11/28/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Losing a patient by suicide may lead to psychological distress and mid/long-term personal and professional consequences for psychiatrists, becoming second victims. MATERIAL AND METHODS The validated Spanish version of the Second Victim Experience and Support Tool (SVEST-E) questionnaire and a 30-item questionnaire created ad-hoc was administered online to psychiatrists from all over Spain to evaluate how patient suicide affects mental health professionals. RESULTS Two hundred ninety-nine psychiatrists participated in the survey, and 256 completed the SVEST-E questionnaire. The results of the SVEST-E questionnaire revealed a negative impact of suicide on emotional and physical domains, although this seemed not to lead to work absenteeism. Most respondents desired peer support from a respected colleague and considered institutional support, although desirable, lacking. Almost 70% of surveyed stated that an employee assistance program providing free counseling to employees outside of work would be desirable. The ad-hoc questionnaire showed that up to 88% of respondents considered some suicides unavoidable, and 76% considered the suicide unexpected. Almost 60% of respondents reported no changes in the approach of patients with suicidal ideation/behavior, after losing a patient. However, up to 76% reported performing more detailed clinical evaluations and notes in the medical record. Up to 13% of respondents considered leaving or changing their job or advancing retirement after losing a patient by suicide. CONCLUSIONS After a patient's suicide, psychiatrists often suffer the feelings of second victim, impacting personal and professional areas. The study results indicate the need for postvention strategies to mitigate the negative impact of patient suicide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Víctor Pérez-Solà
- Instituto de Neuropsiquiatría y Adicciones (INAD), Hospital del Mar, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain; Spanish Foundation of Psychiatry and Mental Health (Fundación Española de Psiquiatría y Salud Mental, FEPSM), Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - José Luis Ayuso
- Department of Psychiatry, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Hospital Universitario de la Princesa, Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Matilde Elices
- Instituto de Neuropsiquiatría y Adicciones (INAD), Hospital del Mar, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain.
| | - Maite Campillo
- Psychiatry Department, Instituto de Neuropsiquiatría y Adicciones (INAD), Centre Emili Mira, Parc de Salut Mar, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Lucas Giner
- Department of Psychiatry, Universidad de Sevilla, Spain
| | - Ana González-Pinto
- Spanish Foundation of Psychiatry and Mental Health (Fundación Española de Psiquiatría y Salud Mental, FEPSM), Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain; University Hospital of Araba, BIOARABA, UPV/EHU, Vitoria, Spain
| | | | - Mercedes Navío
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain; Madrid Mental Health Regional Office, Hospital 12 de Octubre, Madrid, Spain
| | - Diego Palao
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain; Department of Mental Health, University Hospital Parc Taulí, Unitat Mixta de Neurociència Traslacional I3PT-INc-UAB, Spain; Department of Psychiatry and Forensic Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain
| | - Pilar Saiz
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain; Department of Psychiatry, University of Oviedo, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria del Principado de Asturias (ISPA), Instituto de Neurociencias del Principado de Asturias (INEUROPA), Mental Health Services of the Principality of Asturias (SESPA), Oviedo, Spain
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