Relación terapéutica de médicos psiquiatras con pacientes que presentan ideación o intento suicida en un contexto hospitalario

Suicidal behavior can cause a great impression on health workers, with reactions such as fear, guilt, anger or shame. A patient who commits suicide can also produce feelings of doubt in the patient-physician relationship, about his own professional skills and fear for his reputation, even in psychiatrists. The purpose of this research investigation was to explore the therapeutic relationship of psychiatrists with patients with suicidal ideation and suicide attempts in a general hospital. For this purpose, qualitative research methods were applied, and to gather data eight in-depth interviews were done to psychiatrists of outpatients and inpatients. The results established certain kind of therapeutic relationship with patients of the suicidal spectrum in a general hospital, such as the relational style the psychiatrists maintained with outpatients and with inpatients. These results, obtained from clinical practitioners, can contribute on reducing future suicidal risk on patients, by applying these therapeutic interventions with them.