Connecting with suicidal patients in psychiatric wards: Therapist challenges

ABSTRACT

In this qualitative interview study, the authors investigated how therapists experience and view treatment and care for suicidal patients in psychiatric wards. The focus is on aspects that may contribute toward shaping and possibly constraining therapists’ connections with suicidal individuals. They conducted semistructured interviews of 4 psychiatrists and 4 psychologists and analyzed the data by means of thematic analysis. The findings suggest that high emphasis on diagnostics and standardized suicide risk assessments, limited direct care of suicidal patients, and fragmented mental health services may challenge therapists’ connections with suicidal patients.

Acknowledgments

We want to thank the participants for sharing their experiences and views. We would also like to thank Associate Professor Nancy Eik-Nes and MD Jørgen Assar Mortensen for valuable comments on the article.