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Uniting for Suicide Postvention - Providers as Suicide Loss Survivors

Provider Pages: Providers as Suicide Loss Survivors | Managing Suicide Loss | Additional Resources

Losing a Patient to Suicide: When Personal and Professional Converge

Throughout the course of their career, about one-quarter to one-half of mental health providers will experience the loss of a patient to suicide. Despite the fact that provider suicide loss is a common professional experience, providers often report a lack of comprehensive suicide postvention support.

When providers lose a patient to suicide, they are affected by the loss both personally and professionally. Suicide loss can affect providers’ professional identities, relationships with colleagues, and clinical work. The phenomenon of experiencing personal AND professional impacts is called twin bereavement. Check out the following graphic to learn more. [Download PDF of Losing a Patient to Suicide: When Personal and Professional Converge]

Given the many demands providers face, it can be challenging to take time to seek support or ask for help. An important step towards understanding one’s own loss journey, helping others who have experienced a loss, or preparing for the possibility of future loss, is to hear from other provider suicide loss survivors. The following short film features three providers discussing their suicide loss journeys.


English with Audio Description | En Español | En Español con Descripción de Audio

Better understanding the nuanced impacts following a suicide loss is essential to personal and professional growth. Check out the following podcast featuring suicide bereavement and postvention experts, Drs. Nina Gutin and Vanessa McGann, co-founders of the American Association of Suicidology (AAS) Clinician Survivor Taskforce. In this episode, they map out the experience of suicide loss from a provider’s perspective, discussing what to expect, what is normal to feel, and things that can be done even before a suicide loss occurs.

Listen to the podcast:

COMING SOON!

Check back soon for blog posts from providers who have experienced suicide loss.

If you are a provider who would like to share your journey processing and healing after suicide loss, please email USPV@va.gov to learn how to do so.

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