Citation

O'Neill S, Ennis E, McFeeters D, Gallagher L. Crisis 2018; 39(3): 159-165.

Affiliation

School of Psychology, Ulster University, L. Derry, Northern Ireland, UK.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2018, International Association for Suicide Prevention, Publisher Hogrefe Publishing)

DOI

10.1027/0227-5910/a000483

PMID

29052433

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Financial sector workers interface with indebted clients, who may be distressed and have heightened vulnerability to suicidality. AIM(S): This study examined the experiences of 10 Irish financial sector workers who had experiences of encountering distressed clients who discuss suicide.

METHOD: Semistructured interviews (open-ended questions) were used.

RESULTS: Interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) identified four themes, namely: (1) avoidance versus confrontation of reality (management of the debt); (2) role conflict (recovering the debt vs. supporting the client); (3) emotional impact and distancing from clients (coping with concerns for client welfare); (4) desire for support (practical and emotional training and support needs). LIMITATIONS: The frequency with which such clients were encountered was not assessed.

CONCLUSION: These themes demonstrate the need to provide support to this group, and also the difficulties in providing training to manage suicidal clients in a context where the staff member's goal is to recover debt.

Language: en

Keywords

attitudes; financial; suicide prevention; training and support