Suicide Exposure in a Snowball Sample of Mental Health Providers

Suicide exposure (i.e., knowing someone who died by suicide) can lead to serious bereavement and/or mental health difficulties, regardless of the nature of the relationship with the person who died by suicide. It is important to better understand the impact suicide exposure has on mental health professionals (MHPs) as they work directly with patients who experience suicidal ideation, have histories of suicide attempts, and who might go on to die by suicide. This study examines factors associated with suicide exposure in MHPs and the impact that it has on their personal and professional lives. Using snowball sampling, this study examined the lifetime prevalence of personal exposure as well as occupational and colleague suicide among 228 MHPs who completed an online survey. More than two thirds of MHPs reported experiencing at least one personal loss to suicide, and more than two thirds had lost at least one patient to suicide. More than one fifth reported that at least one of the suicides stayed with them, causing nightmares or recurring thoughts. The findings indicate that, despite their specialized interest in suicide, occupational experience, and perceived professional readiness, this snowball sample of MHPs was impacted by suicide exposure. This highlights the need to increase efforts to support MHPs who treat suicidal clients or who are exposed to suicide.