Self-care and the perceived impact of working with people with suicidal ideation on clinical psychologists.

Abstract

This study explored how clinical psychologists experience and manage the emotional impact of working with clients presenting suicidal ideation or coping with a client's death by suicide, as well as the self-care strategies they use and the barriers they encounter. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with ten clinical psychologists and analyzed using thematic analysis. Participants described this work as highly demanding, involving challenges in maintaining emotional boundaries and a strong sense of responsibility, while also being experienced as professionally meaningful. Anticipating suicide was associated with fear and anxiety, whereas actual suicide elicited grief, sadness, and self-doubt. All participants emphasized the importance of self-care, reporting strategies such as supervision, intervision, and personal psychotherapy. Barriers included emotional overload, time constraints, and difficulty disengaging from clients' suffering. Overall, the findings highlight the coexistence of emotional burden and professional meaning, underscoring the need for both individual coping strategies and systemic support to sustain clinicians' well-being.