Teaching psychiatry residents about suicide loss: Impact of an educational program

Hussam Jefee-Bahloul, Rebecca C. Hanna, Adam M. Brenner

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

6 Scopus citations

Abstract

Objective: The aim of this report is to study the impact of a pilot educational event on psychiatry residents' attitudes towards suicidal patients, understanding of their family members' experience, and intended management of patients who died by suicide. Methods: A panel of suicide loss survivors spoke to psychiatry residents during an educational event. Psychiatry residents who attended the event were asked to complete a survey after the event. Results: About a third of residents (29.4 %) reported encountering a patient suicide during training. Overall, psychiatry residents subjectively felt the program had a positive impact on their understanding of suicide loss and on their attitudes towards suicide and towards engagement with family members of patients who died by suicide. Conclusions: The data collected in this study suggest that educational programs focused on patient suicide from the surviving families' perspective may have a positive impact on the attitudes and future practice of residents.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)768-770
Number of pages3
JournalAcademic Psychiatry
Volume38
Issue number6
DOIs
StatePublished - Dec 11 2014

Keywords

  • Psychiatry residents
  • Suicide

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Education
  • Psychiatry and Mental health

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Teaching psychiatry residents about suicide loss: Impact of an educational program'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this