Abstract
People bereaved by suicide have an increased risk of suicide and suicide attempt, yet report receiving less support than people bereaved by other sudden deaths. Reductions in support may contribute to suicide risk, yet their nature is unclear. We explored the impact of suicide bereavement on the interpersonal relationships of young adults in the UK using an online survey to collect qualitative data. We conducted thematic analysis of free-text responses from 499 adults to questions capturing the impact of bereavement on relationships with partners, close friends, close family, extended family, and other contacts. We identified four main themes describing the changes in relationships following the suicide: (1) Social discomfort over the death (stigma and taboo; painfulness for self or others to discuss; socially prescribed grief reactions); (2) social withdrawal (loss of social confidence; withdrawal as a coping mechanism); (3) shared bereavement experience creating closeness and avoidance; (4) attachments influenced by fear of further losses (overprotectiveness towards others; avoiding attachments as protective). These findings contribute to understanding deficits in support and pathways to suicidality after suicide bereavement. Such disrupted attachments add to the burden of grief and could be addressed by public education on how to support those bereaved by suicide.
Highlights
The World Health Organization (WHO) has committed to reducing the global suicide rate by 10%by 2020 in a bid to prevent a proportion of the estimated 800,000 deaths by suicide annually [1]
We used a national cross-sectional study design and a closed online survey to collect qualitative data from a nested sample of people bereaved by suicide, drawn from a wider sample of people bereaved by sudden death—the University College London (UCL) Bereavement Study
This study provides a deeper understanding of interpersonal dynamics after the experience of suicide bereavement in one British sample, further studies are needed to explore the experiences of men and women in other age groups and cultures to inform the design of tailored, culturally-sensitive interventions
Summary
The World Health Organization (WHO) has committed to reducing the global suicide rate by 10%by 2020 in a bid to prevent a proportion of the estimated 800,000 deaths by suicide annually [1]. People bereaved by suicide are at risk of a range of adverse mental and physical health outcomes, including an increased risk of suicide [5,6], suicide attempt [7], depression [5], and psychiatric admission [8]. Their risk of suicide [5,6] and of suicide attempt [7] applies to non-genetically related contacts (spouses and friends), as well as blood relatives, indicating that the psychological (environmental) effects are likely to have wide reach within the social networks of the deceased.
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary 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 callMore From: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
Disclaimer: 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.
