Mental Stress Responses in Psychiatric Nurses Confronting Their Patients' Suicides or Suicide Attempts, the Progression of Those Responses

Abstract

Purpose: This study investigated mental stress responses in psychiatric nurses confronting their patients' suicides or suicide attempts, the progression of those responses, and the coping behaviors used by the nurses.
Method: An anonymous questionnaire survey was conducted among 267 nurses who worked in psychiatric clinics and had the experience of confronting suicides or suicide attempts among their patients. The study was conducted in the Chugoku region the nurses were asked about their age, gender, service years, the presence/absence and frequency of encountering suicides or suicide attempts among their patients, the presence/absence and duration of mental stress responses to these experiences, and the details of their coping behavior.
Results: 1) Nurses showed mental stress responses including remorse, tension, anxiety, and loss of spirit. Especially, some nurses had feelings of remorse and/or lethargy, for 10 or more years in some cases. 2) Among gender differences in coping behavior, alcohol or tobacco use and the presence of someone who would listen to them were significantly more common in men and women, respectively.
Conclusion: It is recommended that nurses who have confronted suicides or suicide attempts among their patients should be observed for any suspected responses, and these findings should be applied to long term support to help these nurses develop appropriate coping behaviors.