Pressures, pride and solace: CAMHS mental health nurses' experience of working with young people at risk of suicide in the community

Abstract

Suicide is the second leading cause of death globally for young people. Community mental health nurses in child and adolescent mental health services are often at the frontline of care for those at risk of suicide, yet there exists a dearth of research exploring this area of care. This study aimed to explore community mental health nurses' lived experience of caring for young people who have attempted and/or are at risk of suicide. Six community mental health nurses managing this risk as part of their role were interviewed, and an interpretative phenomenological analysis highlighted the community mental health nurses' experience of pressure (of the workload), pride (in the nursing role) and solace (in teamwork and cohesion). Findings highlight the need for focus on the experience of ‘burnout’ among community mental health nurses, importance of teamwork when managing high risk in young people, and the negative impact of a perceived ‘blame culture’ within the workplace.