[How and to what extent is suicide postvention part of the routine of health care professionals in psychiatric hospitals after inpatient suicide?]

Abstract

Objective: To elucidate how and to what extent suicide postvention is part of the routine of health care professionals in psychiatric hospitals after inpatient suicide was aim of the study.

Methods: In 11 South German psychiatric hospitals the head of the nursing team of the ward, the therapist and the medical assistant director were asked how suicide postvention after the last suicide was handled.

Results: Suicide postvention is part of the routine in these hospitals and discussion on the issue is rather open. The members of the team confronted with suicide feel mostly sufficiently supported. (2/3) of both therapists and heads of nursing teams considered the procedere to be adequate.

Conclusion: Mainly for the nursing team there seems to be a need to further improve procedures for suicide postvention to gain more team satisfaction with regard to how the situation is managed.