Abstract
INTRODUCTION: It is often said that Aotearoa New Zealand suffers from a “culture of silence” around suicide. The sibling experience, it seems, forms a silence within that silence. Suicide- bereaved siblings face what has been termed a “double loss.” Their sibling is gone, and sois their family as they knew it. Typically, they mourn both losses in isolation, the “forgotten bereaved.” Although Aotearoa New Zealand’s suicide rates are amongst the highest inthe developed world, there are currently no academic papers dedicated exclusively to the sibling experience of suicide loss. This has serious implications, as suicide-bereaved siblings experience significantly higher rates of mental illness compared to control groups even when pre-existing psychopathology, health problems, and social disadvantages are taken into consideration. In addition, their own risk of suicide has been found to double.METHOD: This heuristic literature review aims to clarify and summarise what research focused on the sibling experience of suicide bereavement has highlighted so far, drawing on the author’s lived experience to examine key themes of guilt, “unacceptable” anger, social stigmatisation, self-judgement, isolation, and the shattering of relational trust.FINDINGS AND IMPLICATIONS: Siblings cannot be expected to “seek” help, it needs to be offered—strongly and repeatedly. With this in mind, potential implications for mental health practice with suicide-bereaved siblings will be discussed, as well as broader social initiatives and areas in need of future research.
Highlights
It is often said that Aotearoa New Zealand suffers from a “culture of silence” around suicide
This heuristic literature review aims to clarify and summarise what research focused on the sibling experience of suicide bereavement has highlighted so far, drawing on the author’s lived experience to examine key themes of guilt, “unacceptable” anger, social stigmatisation, self-judgement, isolation, and the shattering of relational trust
Another 12 years passed until the study, in which Norwegian researchers Dyregrov and Dyregrov (2005) used questionnaires to explore the psychosocial situation of 70 suicidebereaved siblings, including their psychological state, support networks, and experiences with mental health professionals
Summary
It is often said that Aotearoa New Zealand suffers from a “culture of silence” around suicide. VOLUME 33 NUMBER 2 2021 AOTEAROA NEW ZEALAND SOCIAL WORK one of 540 people whose deaths were ruled self-inflicted that year, a rate of 12.2 per 100,000, making me one of over a thousand siblings struggling to make sense of what felt unbearably senseless. In literature, those that experience the loss of a loved one to suicide are termed “survivors,” a label that serves to acknowledge the trauma inherent in the experience, and I can think of no label more accurate (Rakic, 1992).
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
