Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34814860›Full record

ArticleBMC psychiatry2021

Therapists' emotional state after sessions in which suicidality is addressed: need for improved management of suicidal tendencies in patients with borderline personality pathology.

Vera Bühlmann, Susanne Schlüter-Müller, Lukas Fürer, Martin Steppan, Marc Birkhölzer, Klaus Schmeck, Julian Koenig, Michael Kaess, Ronan Zimmermann

Open access · goldAbstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in BMC psychiatry, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
0.4field-weighted citation impact, top 31% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed, 3 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Trial
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors at 3 institutions in 2 countries.

Vera BühlmannChild and Adolescent Psychiatric Research Department, Psychiatric University Hospital, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
Susanne Schlüter-MüllerChild and Adolescent Psychiatric Research Department, Psychiatric University Hospital, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
Lukas FürerChild and Adolescent Psychiatric Research Department, Psychiatric University Hospital, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
Martin SteppanChild and Adolescent Psychiatric Research Department, Psychiatric University Hospital, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
Marc BirkhölzerChild and Adolescent Psychiatric Research Department, Psychiatric University Hospital, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
Klaus SchmeckChild and Adolescent Psychiatric Research Department, Psychiatric University Hospital, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
Julian KoenigUniversity Hospital of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
Michael KaessUniversity Hospital of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
Ronan ZimmermannChild and Adolescent Psychiatric Research Department, Psychiatric University Hospital, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland. ronan.zimmermann@unibas.ch.
University of Basel · CHUniversity of Bern · CHUniversity of Cologne · DE

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionPatient suicidality is a frequently experienced topic for psychotherapists. Especially adolescents with borderline personality pathology (BPP) often exhibit suicidal tendencies. Previous research which examined therapists' countertransference towards suicidal patients suggested that therapists are negatively affected and distressed by them. We hypothesize that this emotional response of the therapists is related to specific sessions in which suicidality came up as a topic. Accordingly, the objective of this study consists in examining therapists' emotional state on a session level of analysis.

methodsThe sample consisted of N = 21 adolescents (age 13-19 years) with BPD or subthreshold BPD. Therapists' emotional states were measured in n = 418 sessions using the Session Evaluation Questionnaire. Principal component analysis was used to reduce dimensionality of the therapist response. The emotional states were compared depending on whether suicidality has been addressed in the session (SS) or not (NSS).

resultsTwo components could be identified. Firstly, therapists were more aroused, excited, afraid, angry and uncertain after SS than after NSS. Secondly, therapists were more aroused, excited, definite and pleased after SS than after NSS. DISCUSSION: Suicidality does not always have to be a burden for therapists: Both a "distress" and an "eustress" component occur in this context from which the latter is supposed to help clinicians master a difficult situation. Since countertransference feelings are often not fully conscious, it is necessary to do research on therapists' emotional states after sessions in which suicidality is addressed. This is crucial to both prevent the therapeutic process from being endangered and preserve clinicians' mental health. Clinical implications and limitations are discussed.

Indexed as

Suicidal IdeationSuicide PreventionAdolescentAdultEmotionsHumansPersonalityProfessional-Patient RelationsPsychotherapyYoung AdultAdolescentsBorderline personality pathologyCountertransferencePsychotherapyStressSuicidality

Identifiers

PMID34814860
PMCPMC8609732
OpenAlexW3215269009

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.