Social Reactions to the Survivor of a Suicide in the Family: A Review of the Literature

Abstract

This article reviews the available literature on reactions to family members surviving another member's suicide. Three factors determining the reaction of others to persons bereaved by suicide are investigated: 1) the cause of death, 2) characteristics of the deceased, and 3) characteristics of the respondent. The perceptions that persons bereaved by suicide have of the way others view them are reviewed. Methodological flaws and limitations of the current research are noted, with suggestions for the direction of future research. Tentative generalizations and suggestions for clinical practice are also made.