Best-practice recommendations for campus-based suicide postvention intervention at a South African university in the Western Cape: An expert consensus study.

Abstract

The suicide of students on university campuses has significant impacts for students and staff. South African universities are not excluded from this impact. This study aimed to identify best-practice recommendations for a suicide postvention intervention programme at a South African university. In a single-round consensus study, suicide-bereaved students (N = 25) and staff (N = 21) at the university rated 126 statements in an online questionnaire on a 5-point Likert scale from "essential" to "should not be included." Agreement between the two groups was significant regarding the most highly rated statements. The most highly rated statements for both groups generated six core themes: providing culturally competent and religiously sensitive support to bereaved families; respecting family's wishes while meeting the university's needs; connecting students to available support; staff training needs; clear procedural guidance for staff and mourning and remembering the deceased student.