Supporting colleagues after suicide

Supporting colleagues after suicide

Pressure within the NHS has led to an increased risk of suicide, meaning that colleagues must be supported. JOHANNA SPIERS discusses some of the latest research and support initiatives.

Our NHS is facing a crisis.

Overworked healthcare professionals are at risk of burning out. Tragically, according to ONS data, healthcare workers are 24 per cent more likely to take their own lives than the general population, partially due to high numbers of suicides among female nurses. According to data published in the British Medical Journal, those who have been impacted by suicide are 7 to 9 per cent more likely to subsequently take their own lives.

This picture is made bleaker given that some well-being hubs which were opened for NHS staff during Covid-19 are now being closed or threatened with closure, even though BACP data indicates that 23 per cent of NHS staff absences in 2022 were due to mental ill health. This means that NHS Key Workers are less likely to be supported if a colleague takes their life.

Alongside researchers from Surrey, Keele and Birmingham Universities, I recently worked on a study about the impact on, and support needs of, NHS staff following a colleague’s suicide, published under the title “Identifying the impact on and support needs of NHS staff following a colleague’s suicide: A study to inform postvention guidance”. The work was inspired by the experiences of two team members, junior doctors who were left unsupported after a colleague’s suicide.

Following interviews with NHS workers and feedback from stakeholders, we produced guidance on how to support staff more fully following a co-worker’s suicide, published as “Postvention guidance: Supporting NHS staff after the death by suicide of a colleague”.

Study participants were often distressed and unsupported after the suicide. Upsettingly, those who felt unsafe to treat patients often had to sign themselves off work rather than having that need met by their employers. Staff who were asked to support their colleagues often had no training in how to do so and were emotionally impacted themselves.

To learn more, watch the powerful documentary, produced by Emily Kay Stoker, provided here.

We recommend that NHS Trusts who have lost a colleague to suicide should:

◆ Nurture a culture where talking about mental health is encouraged

◆ Train postvention teams (which can include wellbeing leads, chaplains and managers) before a death happens so supporters are prepared

◆ Proactively offer immediate and sustained support to all impacted staff

◆ Support those who are supporting others

If you have been impacted by the suicide of a colleague, there may be a well-being hub open near you: learn more about well-being hubs by clicking here.

The mental health of NHS Key Workers and other staff members must be prioritised. By caring for staff after the suicide of a colleague, I believe the lives of other workers can be saved in future.

Read more of our recommendations in our guidance document available here. This study was led by Principal Investigator Dr Ruth Riley and the research was conducted by me and Dr Hilary Causer.

Sources

Office for National Statistics, “Suicide by occupation, England: 2011 to 2015”

British Medical Journal, “Bereavement by suicide as a risk factor for suicide attempt: a cross-sectional national UK-wide study of 3,432 young bereaved adults”

Junior doctors’ distress research

Original research from a University of Birmingham-led team explored work cultures, contexts and conditions associated with psychological distress among junior doctors. The research was published in the British Medical Journal as “Sources of work-related psychological distress experienced by UK-wide foundation and junior doctors: a qualitative study”.

The research team conducted interviews with junior doctors who self-identified as experiencing stress, distress, anxiety, depression, suicidal thoughts, or having attempted self-harm.

The documentary film available here follows one of the study participants whose mental health journey was representative of the experience of many of the NHS junior doctors who took part in the study.

The study findings revealed the importance of fostering supportive and compassionate leadership and work environments and adopting a zero-tolerance stance towards bullying, harassment, and discrimination.

Addressing these issues is crucial to safeguarding the mental well-being of junior doctors and enhancing overall healthcare delivery.

The videos referred to in this article were produced by Emily Stoker. Emily’s website can be accessed here.