Emotional Distress Among Suicide Survivors: The Moderating Role of Self-Forgiveness.

Yossi Levi-Belz,Tal Gilo

doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2020.00341

Abstract

Grief after suicide entails unique challenges and difficulties, such as intense feelings of anger and guilt, as well as various psychological risks. The current study examined the contribution of self-forgiveness (SF) to emotional distress (e.g., depressed mood and suicidal ideation) among suicide-loss survivors, compared with bereavement following sudden and expected death types. Bereaved individuals (N = 309; aged 18-84) completed questionnaires measuring SF, depressed mood, suicidal ideation, demographics, and personal characteristics concerning the bereavement. A significant interaction between SF and type of loss was found, in which suicide-loss survivors with low levels of SF manifested the highest levels of depression and suicidal ideation compared with other subgroups. The findings reflect the importance of SF as a protective factor against depression and suicidality among suicide-loss survivors as well as the possible efficacy of forgiveness-based interventions in this population.

Highlights

Suicide is one of the most disturbing public health problems
In light of the importance of SF in dealing with traumatic and devastating events in general, and in line with the unique difficulties of suicide-loss survivors in terms of guilt and selfanger, in the present study, we aimed to examine the contribution of SF to emotional distress in the aftermath of suicide loss
We suggest that SF's contribution to relieving distress among suicide-loss survivors will be greater than among the other two bereavement groups, considering the specific suicide-related bereavement characteristics

Summary

Introduction

Suicide is one of the most disturbing public health problems. Each year, approximately 800,000 people worldwide die by suicide [1]. Researchers estimate that every suicide has a direct and profound impact on roughly 60 people [2, 3], totaling between 48–500 million people who might be exposed to suicide bereavement each year [4]. These people, termed suicide-loss survivors, are likely to be family members and spouses as well as friends and colleagues, who experience high emotional, physiological, or social distress during a lengthy period following the suicide of a significant other [5]. Information Background information collected from the participants included demographic characteristics (gender, age, education, family status, and religiosity) and loss-related characteristics (cause of death, time elapsed since loss, age of the deceased, age of the participant at the time of the loss, kinship to the deceased, perceived closeness to the deceased, levels of distress experienced following the loss, and use of health care services)

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