Presentation Information
[SY-60-02]The 'Truth' About Suicide: Insights and Challenges for Clinicians and the Bereaved
*Rachel Gibbons (Royal College of Psychiatrists(UK))
Keywords:
suicide,suicide bereavement,Clinician trauma
This presentation confronts the complex and often misunderstood nature of suicide, drawing on 16 years of research, clinical experience, and work with those bereaved by suicide. Based on the presenter’s widely acclaimed talk and accompanied by the influential paper "Eight Truths About Suicide" (published in the Psychiatric Bulletin, September 2023), this session seeks to deepen the discussion on suicide, challenge conventional understandings, and bring solace to clinicians and the bereaved alike.
The presenter will begin by sharing her personal experience of losing three patients to suicide within her first three months as a consultant psychiatrist. These events, and her subsequent formation of a confidential peer support group, shaped her career and ignited a lifelong study into the profound impact of suicide on both clinicians and the bereaved. Having heard over 2000 accounts of suicide loss, the presenter will share recurring patterns or 'truths' that challenge traditional approaches to suicide prevention and understanding.
Through this lens, the session will address critical questions: What leads someone to take their own life? Can suicide be prevented?
The presenter will begin by sharing her personal experience of losing three patients to suicide within her first three months as a consultant psychiatrist. These events, and her subsequent formation of a confidential peer support group, shaped her career and ignited a lifelong study into the profound impact of suicide on both clinicians and the bereaved. Having heard over 2000 accounts of suicide loss, the presenter will share recurring patterns or 'truths' that challenge traditional approaches to suicide prevention and understanding.
Through this lens, the session will address critical questions: What leads someone to take their own life? Can suicide be prevented?