Responding to Clinicians After Loss of a Patient to Suicide

Plakun, Eric M. M.D. and Tillman, Jane G. Ph.D.

When a patient commits suicide, the emotional impact on his/her psychiatrist can be devastating. The four main causes of distress include concern about failure to hospitalize a suicidal patient, concern about a specific treatment decision, disapproval and criticism by the members of the therapist's institution, and fear of a lawsuit. The authors offer a number of suggestions to help manage these feelings constructively, as well as guidelines for interacting with the deceased patient's family.

Download File: EMP & JT_Responding to Clinicians After Loss of a Patient to Suicide.pdf