Mental Health Providers: Are We Part of the Solution or Part of the Problem? Lessons Learned on the Trauma of a Suicide Attempt

Authors

Keywords:

peers with lived/living experience, clinician impact, moral injury, post-traumatic stress

Abstract

This paper focuses on the often-neglected recognition of client and care provider trauma associated with a suicide attempt or death. After the death of a group member, clinicians and peer facilitators of a group intervention for people who had made recurrent attempts were invited to share their narratives. The “before-during-after” experiences identified that anxiety, post-traumatic stress, and/or moral injury are to be considered when providing assessment and care for the person who has made a suicide attempt. Attending in a trauma-informed way to the subjective and unique experience and responses of the client can ameliorate worsening ideation or further attempts. Trauma-informed care further encourages a mutual and collaborative understanding of the attempt to support agency, strengths, and skills possessed even within the context of the traumatic event.

Author Biographies

Yvonne Bergmans, University of Toronto

Yvonne Bergmans, PhD, RSW (she/her) is Suicide Interventionist and Lecturer, Department of Psychiatry, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada (bergmansyvonne@gmail.com).

Gina Nicoll, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health

Gina Nicoll (she/her) is Research Assistant with Lived Experience, Institute for Mental Health Policy Research, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada (regina.nicoll@camh.ca).

Robb Johannes, York University

Robb Johannes, MA (he/him) is Adjunct Lecturer, Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work, University of Toronto, and Adjunct Professor, School of Social Work, York University, Toronto, ON, Canada.

Adrienne Brown, University of Toronto

Adrienne Brown, BS is Graduate, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada (wandererr@gmail.com).

Keschey Marcelle, Unity Health Toronto

Keschey Marcelle, MA, RN, RP is Mental Health Nurse, Mental Health Emergency Service, Unity Health Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada (kescheym@outlook.com).

Shane McInerney, University of Galway

Shane McInerney, MD, MRCPsych is Consultant Psychiatrist, National Clinical Lead for Self-Harm and Suicide, and Honorary Senior Lecturer in Psychiatry, University of Galway, Newcastle Road, Galway, Ireland.

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Published

2025-06-30

How to Cite

Bergmans, Y., Nicoll, G., Johannes, R., Brown, A., Marcelle, K., & McInerney, S. (2025). Mental Health Providers: Are We Part of the Solution or Part of the Problem? Lessons Learned on the Trauma of a Suicide Attempt. Reflections: Narratives of Professional Helping, 31(2), 28–43. Retrieved from https://reflectionsnarrativesofprofessionalhelping.org/index.php/Reflections/article/view/2088

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General Submissions