Cultivating Empathy Through Dialogue: Using Panel Discussions to Teach About Suicide in Medical Education

Abstract

Introduction Suicide is a leading cause of preventable death worldwide, with many individuals interacting with health care providers shortly before their attempt. Medical trainees often report anxiety when managing patients with suicidal ideation. Effective care requires not only clinical knowledge but also empathic understanding. Despite its importance, evidence-based strategies for teaching empathy remain limited. This study draws on Experiential Learning Theory, Transformative Learning Theory, and applies the Jefferson Scale of Empathy as a framework. Methods Two cohorts of 131 physician assistant students participated in a panel discussion on suicide, followed by a reflective essay writing activity. The panel consisted of patient survivors of suicide and a psychiatric clinician. Retrospective, qualitative analysis of the reflective essays was conducted to answer 2 research questions: (1) What are the overall student takeaways from the suicide panel discussion? (2) How does experiential learning about suicidality, in the form of a panel discussion, affect the student’s ability to develop empathic understanding? Results Students reported increased preparedness to care for suicidal patients, recognized limitations of lecture-based empathy instruction, and expressed interest in additional training. Jefferson Scale of Empathy–guided analysis demonstrated activation of empathy across all domains, including perspective taking, compassionate care, and understanding patients’ lived experiences. Discussion Experiential panel discussions appear to be an effective approach to fostering empathy in health professions education. Although this intervention enhanced multiple dimensions of empathy, some subdomains were not addressed, highlighting the need for complementary educational strategies.