TY  - JOUR
PY  - 2023//
TI  - Second victim experience in Spanish psychiatrists coping with patient suicide: a call for postvention
JO  - Spanish journal of psychiatry and mental health
A1  - Pérez-Solà, Victor
A1  - Luis Ayuso, José
A1  - Borrás-Murcia, Cecilia
A1  - Elices, Matilde
A1  - Campillo, Maite
A1  - Giner, Lucas
A1  - Gonzalez-Pinto, Ana
A1  - Guija, Julio Antonio
A1  - Navio, Mercedes
A1  - Palao, Diego
A1  - Saiz, Pilar
SP  - ePub
EP  - ePub
VL  - ePub
IS  - ePub
N2  - 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. <br><br>RESULTS:  299 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 o changing their job or advancing retirement after losing a patient by suicide. <br><br>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.<p />  <p>Language: en</p>
LA  - en
SN  - 2950-2853
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.sjpmh.2023.11.004
ID  - ref1
ER  -