Experiences of mental health professionals : patient suicide and working in a crisis team

This research thesis explores mental health professionals’ reactions to patient suicide and the emotional experiences of working in a Crisis Team. Chapter one is a literature review examining twelve empirical studies of the impact of patient suicide on mental health professionals and the resources they draw on to cope with the effects. The review revealed a range of personal and professional responses amongst professionals and highlighted the concept of blame in the coping process. Chapter two is a qualitative empirical study of seven clinicians’ emotional experiences of working in a UK Crisis Team. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis revealed three main themes of importance; response to difficult emotions, impact on self and intergroup processes. The clinical implications and areas for future research are discussed alongside methodological considerations and limitations. Chapter three is a reflective account of the emotional experience of conducting the research and considers the impact of the chosen methodology, parallels of experience between the researcher and the participants and the impact of the research process on future clinical practice