| Abstract [eng] |
Little is known about the mental health professionals' experiences while working with suicidal patients. Thus, this research aims to reveal and describe mental health professionals' subjective experiences while working with patients at increased risk for suicide. 17 psychologists and psychiatrists (13 females, 4 males, average age was 51, SD = 13,25) participated in this study. All of them treat those at risk of suicide. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews. A hybrid thematic analysis approach was used to analyze the data (Boyatzis, 1998). The results revealed that working with patients at increased risk of suicide, mental health professionals experience anxiety, tension and stress, increased willingness and effort to help, helplessness, sadness, responsibility for the patient, fear and anger. It has been observed that specialists experience emotional difficulty and pity, guilt and self-criticism, fear and some of them accept the patient's suicide. The following needs of specialists' have been identified – establishing a collaborative relationship with the patient and motivating him for treatment, professional development and other training, learning from colleagues, knowledge, support of colleagues, team decision-making and responsibility sharing, personal qualities, supervision, good working conditions, self-help. The results showed that mental health professionals overcome the emotional difficulties that arise when working with suicidal patients through reflection on experience, understanding their role, taking care of themselves, or withdrawing from their experiences. |
