Prominent Feelings and Self-Regard Among Survivors of Suicide

Abstract

This cross-sectional study explores associations between elapsed time since the loss and outcomes of main feelings surrounding the loss and self-regard among 187 help-seeking survivors bereaved by suicide. Chi-square tests were conducted to examine the aforementioned relationships. In examining suicide survivors' main feelings over time, this study found mixed results in early bereavement. This study showed that at 25 to 59 months of elapsed time since the loss, both fear and happiness were significant for suicide survivors. No significance was found before 25 to 59 months, suggesting a change in suicide survivors' main emotions following 2 years of elapsed time since the loss. In later bereavement (i.e., 5 + years), suicide survivors' experiences of happiness was significant. The aforementioned results suggest that following 2 years of elapsed time since the loss, this sample of survivors bereaved by suicide experienced a change in their grief experience.