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Adshead C, Runacres J. Sharing is Caring: A Realist Evaluation of a Social Support Group for Individuals Who Have Been Bereaved by Suicide. OMEGA-JOURNAL OF DEATH AND DYING 2024; 89:172-190. [PMID: 35098795 DOI: 10.1177/00302228211070152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
AIM To understand the experiences and perceived impact on the wellbeing of individuals attending a suicide bereavement social support group. DESIGN A qualitative study guided by a realist evaluation framework. METHODS Data were collected from May-July 2020 using online semistructured individual interviews with participants (N = 6), from the North West of England recruited from a suicide bereavement support group's social media. Data were analysed using thematic analysis informed by the realist framework. RESULTS Effective social support includes the prioritisation of building meaningful connections with like-minded individuals, providing a safe space for authentic self-expression aiding personal relationship maintenance. Contextual factors included: Societal and cultural stigma of suicide, self-stigma and gender norms. Mechanisms influencing support seeking include: Not wanting to burden loved ones due to judgement, and a lack of understanding. IMPACT Policymakers can reduce demand on healthcare systems by developing tailored support groups to suit individual needs.
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Marek F, Oexle N. Supportive and non-supportive social experiences following suicide loss: a qualitative study. BMC Public Health 2024; 24:1190. [PMID: 38678182 PMCID: PMC11055309 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-024-18545-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2023] [Accepted: 04/08/2024] [Indexed: 04/29/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Suicide bereavement entails profound social stressors, including stigma and communication barriers, which can impair social support for suicide loss survivors (SLS). Despite recognized benefits of empathetic interactions, social support, and self-disclosure in mitigating adverse mental health outcomes after suicide loss, we lack a comprehensive understanding of the factors influencing perceived social support among SLS within their broader social environments. To address this gap, our study explores the diverse social experiences of SLS beyond their immediate circles. Specifically, we identify characteristics that define both supportive and non-supportive social experiences of SLS, as well as the facilitators and barriers to social support in the context of suicide bereavement. METHODS In 2022, we conducted structured online individual interviews with a diverse sample of 18 SLS in Germany. We analyzed these interviews using qualitative content analysis. RESULTS We examined the social experiences of SLS across three phases and social contexts: (1) the immediate aftermath of the loss; (2) during bereavement practices; and (3) over time. Our findings show that proactive responses and personalized mourning rituals significantly enhance SLS' sense of community support, while encounters characterized by avoidance or intrusive curiosity lead to feelings of isolation. Over time, supportive interactions often emerge from peers with similar experiences, promoting openness and shared vulnerability. Conversely, superficial engagement, along with experiences of others depersonalizing and avoiding conversations about the loss, contribute to a sense of marginalization. CONCLUSIONS Our findings highlight the importance of proactive engagement and open dialogue, calling for societal and communicative shifts toward inclusive and compassionate approaches in addressing suicide loss. This study underscores the need for comprehensive strategies that enhance both suicide and grief literacy and address the taboo and stigma surrounding suicide, ultimately fostering supportive social environments for SLS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Franziska Marek
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy II, Ulm University, Ulm/Guenzburg, Germany.
| | - Nathalie Oexle
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy II, Ulm University, Ulm/Guenzburg, Germany
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Rinne-Wolf S, Finkeldei S, Kern T. Breaking the news of the violent death of a close person to children under 18 years of age: A qualitative interview study. DEATH STUDIES 2024:1-15. [PMID: 38588451 DOI: 10.1080/07481187.2024.2337210] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/10/2024]
Abstract
Children who lose a close person to suicide or homicide will most likely receive this news from a carer. The caregiver's personal beliefs and approaches to addressing the topic will influence the child. A total of 10 interviews were conducted with carers of children aged 0-17 years, and the data were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis. Four themes were developed, exploring: (1) how carers attempted to manage the task of delivering the news of death to the child and discussing it using careful wording; (2) how some carers' desire to protect the child from the truth hindered honesty and open conversations; (3) how and why some carers deliberately challenged societal taboos; and (4) how external influences prompted conversations about the topic. The discussion projects potential consequences for the children and their families. It also derives necessary societal changes, support measures, and further research suggestions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susanna Rinne-Wolf
- AETAS Children's Foundation, Munich, Germany
- Chair for Public Health and Health Services Research, Institute for Medical Information Processing, Biometry and Epidemiology (IBE), Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität (LMU) Munich, Germany
| | - Simon Finkeldei
- AETAS Children's Foundation, Munich, Germany
- Institute for Psychology, University Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Tita Kern
- AETAS Children's Foundation, Munich, Germany
- Institute for Psychology, University Innsbruck, Austria
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Shin S, Ahn S, Joung J, Kim S. Parents' lived experiences of losing adolescent children in the Korean Ferry Sewol disaster: Lessons through a qualitative meta-synthesis. DEATH STUDIES 2023; 48:584-599. [PMID: 37672392 DOI: 10.1080/07481187.2023.2253764] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/08/2023]
Abstract
This study meta-synthesized qualitative studies on the parents' experiences of losing their adolescent children due to the human-made disaster, Ferry Sewol disaster in Korea, 2014. Five Korean and five international electronic databases were searched. Twenty-one studies were selected and critically appraised. Thematic analysis was employed. Four themes (with 10 subthemes) were derived: screaming in excruciating pain at the unbelievable deaths of children, family love evolving amidst pain and deepening into higher value, relationships collapsed and reformed while experiencing various social perspectives, and transitioning from a life of holding on to a life of progress. Bereaved parents experience psychological, physical, social pain for a long time, but gradually tried not to waste their children's death, forming new values and life goals. There is pressing need to devise sustained recovery strategies that account for distinct characteristics and needs of affected population groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Soyoung Shin
- College of Nursing, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Suyoun Ahn
- Department of Nursing, Seoyeong University, Paju, South Korea
| | - Jaewon Joung
- College of Nursing, Research Institute of Nursing Science, Jeonbuk National University, Jeonju, South Korea
| | - Sungjae Kim
- College of Nursing, The Research Institute of Nursing Science, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea
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Bottomley JS, Campbell KW, Titlestad KB, Feigelman W, Rheingold AA. Predictors of Stigma, Guilt, and Shame among Adults Bereaved by Fatal Overdose. OMEGA-JOURNAL OF DEATH AND DYING 2023:302228231194208. [PMID: 37553120 DOI: 10.1177/00302228231194208] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/10/2023]
Abstract
With the spectacular rise of US overdose deaths, bereavement for these affected families has become a matter of increasing concern. Qualitative research has highlighted the role of stigmatization as well as guilt and shame among this population. However, the magnitude and pre-death predictors of stigmatization, guilt, and shame have yet to be assessed quantitatively. In the current study, we assess the magnitude of stigmatization, guilt, and shame among 115 adults bereaved by overdose by drawing comparisons with 185 adults bereaved by suicide. Results revealed no significant differences regarding overall levels of stigmatization, guilt, and shame between the overdose and suicide bereaved. Among the overdose bereaved, regression models indicated a number of pre-death factors associated with stigmatization, guilt, and shame, such as the frequency of the decedent's drug use, family drug use severity, and interpersonal conflict between the bereaved and the decedent. Implications and future directions for research are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jamison S Bottomley
- National Crime Victims Research and Treatment Center, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, USA
| | | | - Kristine B Titlestad
- Faculty of Health and Social Sciences, Western Norway University of Applied Sciences, Bergen, Norway
| | | | - Alyssa A Rheingold
- National Crime Victims Research and Treatment Center, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, USA
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Black V, Heo S. When a Child Dies by Suicide: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis Study. OMEGA-JOURNAL OF DEATH AND DYING 2023:302228231194213. [PMID: 37549366 DOI: 10.1177/00302228231194213] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/09/2023]
Abstract
Suicide is a global concern for the well-being of families. When parents experience their child's death by suicide, their well-being can be substantially impaired. This study aimed to explore the lived experiences of parents whose children died by suicide. Data were collected from 25 mothers through interviews between 2019 and 2021 and analyzed using interpretive phenomenological analysis. The data revealed five superordinate themes, including (1) who am I; (2) the unrelenting questions; (3) my existence on earth is brutal and cruel; (4) grief; and (5) the meaning. Each superordinate theme includes two to four supporting clusters. Parents' grief associated with a child's suicide is overwhelming and paralyzing but is often a journey to find the meaning or the reason for the death. Parents are traumatized and emotionally vulnerable. Healthcare providers need to support parents who lose their children to death by suicide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vicki Black
- Georgia Baptist College of Nursing, Mercer University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Seongkum Heo
- Georgia Baptist College of Nursing, Mercer University, Atlanta, GA, USA
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YAZGI ZG, YILMAZ M. Role of the Psychiatric Nurse in Improving the Psychosocial Health of Families After Suicide. PSIKIYATRIDE GUNCEL YAKLASIMLAR - CURRENT APPROACHES IN PSYCHIATRY 2023. [DOI: 10.18863/pgy.1138902] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/27/2023]
Abstract
Suicide is defined as death that occurs as a result of deliberate self-harming behavior with the intention of ending one's life. Each suicide has many physical, economic and psychological short and long-term effects on the individual, family, friends and society. The death of an individual as a result of suicide creates a traumatic effect for family members and causes family members to experience various psychosocial problems. For this reason, it is very important to focus on the consequences of suicide in family members who have lost due to suicide, to evaluate the family's reactions to suicide, and to provide the needed psychosocial support. In this context, in this review, it is aimed to review the literature on the psychosocial problems experienced by families who have lost due to suicide and to present up-to-date information on the role of psychiatric nurse in improving the psychosocial health status of families.
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Nilsson C, Blomberg K, Bremer A. Existential loneliness and life suffering in being a suicide survivor: a reflective lifeworld research study. Int J Qual Stud Health Well-being 2022; 17:2122157. [PMID: 36073742 PMCID: PMC9467526 DOI: 10.1080/17482631.2022.2122157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose The aim of the study was to describe the loss of a family member by suicide, based on the lived experience of suicide survivors. Methods A phenomenology study with a Reflective Lifeworld Research approach was conducted, consisting of sixteen interviews with eight suicide survivors. Results The essence of losing a family member by suicide encompasses experiences of involuntary and existential loneliness, life suffering, and additional burdens in a life that is radically transformed, comprising prolonged and energy-intensive attempts to understand. Life for the family member encompasses a constant fear of being judged and an ambiguous silence, where this silence can both lead to involuntary loneliness and be a source of support and fellowship. Support mechanisms inside the family fall apart, and it becomes obvious that the survivors’ experiences affect others. The loss also implies an active endeavour to maintain the memory of the deceased. Conclusions Based on these results, it is important for professionals to accept the survivors as suffering human beings early—from the point of the notification of death—and consider them as patients in need of compassionate care. Such support might reduce life suffering, counteract stigma and involuntary loneliness, and work simultaneously as suicide prevention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christina Nilsson
- Faculty of Medicine and Health, School of Health Sciences, Örebro University, Örebro, Sweden
- Division of Emergency Medical Services and University Health Care Research Center, Örebro University Hospital, Örebro, Sweden
| | - Karin Blomberg
- Faculty of Medicine and Health, School of Health Sciences, Örebro University, Örebro, Sweden
| | - Anders Bremer
- Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Department of Health and Caring Sciences, Linnaeus University, Växjö, Sweden
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Mathieu S, Todor R, De Leo D, Kõlves K. Coping Styles Utilized during Suicide and Sudden Death Bereavement in the First Six Months. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:ijerph192214709. [PMID: 36429427 PMCID: PMC9690721 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph192214709] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2022] [Revised: 11/03/2022] [Accepted: 11/07/2022] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
Individuals bereaved by suicide experience substantial emotional distress and are at risk for poorer mental health, substance use concerns, and suicidal behaviors. This study aimed to explore whether those bereaved by suicide reported different coping styles compared to those bereaved by sudden death in the first six months. It also aimed to determine whether a previous mental health diagnosis (PMHD) and experiencing stigma and/or shame impacted the utilization of adaptive and maladaptive coping. The sample was constituted by individuals bereaved by suicide (n = 142) compared to those bereaved by sudden death (n = 63), six months after loss. The study included immediate family members who were 18 years or older and understood the English language. After controlling for demographics there were no significant differences in coping styles between bereavement types. Regardless of bereavement type, having a PMHD was associated with increased avoidant and problem-focused coping, and stigma and shame were each associated with increased avoidant coping. Women were also more likely to report using adaptive coping. Findings demonstrate no difference by bereavement type and have implications for the tailoring of grief/postvention supports that are sensitive to perceived stigma/shame to better facilitate utilization of adaptive emotion-focused coping, particularly for men and those with pre-existing mental health problems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sharna Mathieu
- Australian Institute for Suicide Research and Prevention, WHO Collaborating Centre for Suicide Research and Training, School of Applied Psychology, Griffith University, Brisbane, QLD 4122, Australia
| | - Racquel Todor
- Australian Institute for Suicide Research and Prevention, WHO Collaborating Centre for Suicide Research and Training, School of Applied Psychology, Griffith University, Brisbane, QLD 4122, Australia
| | - Diego De Leo
- Australian Institute for Suicide Research and Prevention, WHO Collaborating Centre for Suicide Research and Training, School of Applied Psychology, Griffith University, Brisbane, QLD 4122, Australia
- Slovene Centre for Suicide Research, Primorska University, 6000 Koper, Slovenia
- De Leo Fund, 35137 Padua, Italy
| | - Kairi Kõlves
- Australian Institute for Suicide Research and Prevention, WHO Collaborating Centre for Suicide Research and Training, School of Applied Psychology, Griffith University, Brisbane, QLD 4122, Australia
- Correspondence:
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Hultsjö S, Ovox SM, Olofsson C, Bazzi M, Wärdig R. Forced to move on: An interview study with survivors who have lost a relative to suicide. Perspect Psychiatr Care 2022; 58:2215-2223. [PMID: 35148431 PMCID: PMC9790501 DOI: 10.1111/ppc.13049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2021] [Revised: 01/24/2022] [Accepted: 01/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE To explore the loss of a relative due to suicide. DESIGN AND METHODS Ten survivors of relatives who had taken their lives were interviewed. Data was analyzed from a phenomenological perspective. FINDINGS The survivors described how they witnessed the darkness that took over their relative's lifeworld. During the time before and after the suicide, the survivor felt barred from having a role in the relative's care. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS Understanding and exploring implicit dynamics, such as "a feeling of darkness taking over," "a sense of relief," or "putting on a mask" could be important for developing person-centered suicide care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sally Hultsjö
- Department of Psychiatry, Ryhov County Hospital, Jönköping, Sweden.,Division of Nursing and Reproductive Health, Department of Health, Medicine and Caring Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Säidi M Ovox
- Department of Psychiatrics, Motala Hospital, Motala, Sweden
| | - Caroline Olofsson
- Department of Psychiatry, Ryhov County Hospital, Jönköping, Sweden.,Division of Nursing and Reproductive Health, Department of Health, Medicine and Caring Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Mohammad Bazzi
- Department of Psychiatry, Ryhov County Hospital, Jönköping, Sweden.,Division of Nursing and Reproductive Health, Department of Health, Medicine and Caring Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Rikard Wärdig
- Division of Nursing and Reproductive Health, Department of Health, Medicine and Caring Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
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Finkeldei S, Kern T, Rinne-Wolf S. Querschnittstudie zum Versorgungsstand von Familien nach Suizid und Suizidversuch eines Elternteils in Bayern. PRÄVENTION UND GESUNDHEITSFÖRDERUNG 2022. [PMCID: PMC9483877 DOI: 10.1007/s11553-022-00981-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Zusammenfassung
Hintergrund
In Bayern wurde 2019 mit 1520 Fällen die höchste absolute Anzahl von Suiziden in Deutschland registriert. Suizid als Todesursache ist besonders belastend für Angehörige und das Risiko von betroffenen Kindern, selbst im weiteren Lebensverlauf Suizid zu begehen, ist signifikant erhöht. Frühe und spezifische Ansätze der sog. psychosozialen Notfallversorgung sind nach hoch belastenden Lebenserfahrungen, wie Suizid im Nahfeld, fachlich indiziert.
Ziel der Arbeit
Ziel der Querschnittstudie ist es, die Versorgungssituation von Familien nach Suizid und Suizidversuch eines Elternteils in Bayern zu erheben und dadurch Bedarfe zu erkennen.
Methoden
Daten zu Versorgungsangeboten, der (Selbst)einschätzung der Kompetenzen zu traumaspezifischen Aspekten und der grundsätzlichen Beurteilung der Versorgungssituation und -qualität in Bayern wurden bei 108 Jugendämtern und Beratungsstellen per telefonischer Befragung erhoben und deskriptiv ausgewertet.
Ergebnisse
Fälle von Suizid/-versuch kommen in der Beratungs- und Betreuungsrealität von Mitarbeitenden in Jugendämtern und Beratungsstellen vor. Die am häufigsten genannte Hilfe ist die Weitervermittlung in andere zumeist heilkundliche Angebote. 80 % der befragten Mitarbeitenden in Beratungsstellen und Jugendämtern halten die Einführung einer zentralen Notfallrufnummer für Familien und Fachkräfte für sinnvoll.
Schlussfolgerung
Fachkräfte sehen den Bedarf für Beratung bei den Betroffenen und wollen diesem auch in der eigenen Einrichtung entsprechen, fühlen sich jedoch in Folge begrenzter interner und externer Angebote sowie eigener Qualifikation dafür nicht ausreichend ermächtigt. Die Angebote, in die weitervermittelt wird, sind in den meisten Fällen weder spezifisch, passgenau noch kurzfristig verfügbar, was angesichts des hohen Erkrankungsrisikos der betroffenen Kinder und Jugendlichen einen kritischen Faktor darstellt. Es besteht ein Bedarf für unmittelbar erreichbare spezifische Unterstützung sowohl für Fachkräfte als auch für betroffene Familien, z. B. durch eine Notfallrufnummer.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Tita Kern
- AETAS Kinderstiftung, München, Deutschland
| | - Susanna Rinne-Wolf
- AETAS Kinderstiftung, München, Deutschland
- Fakultät für Sport- und Gesundheitswissenschaften, Technische Universität München, Uptown München-Campus D, Georg-Brauchle-Ring 60/62, 80992 München, Deutschland
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Heo SJ, Kim YA, Lee DH, Shin JY. How Bereaved Parents Experience Public, Self Stigma Years After a Child's Death. OMEGA-JOURNAL OF DEATH AND DYING 2022:302228221100902. [PMID: 35532351 DOI: 10.1177/00302228221100902] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/18/2024]
Abstract
This study identifies the stigma experienced by 12 bereaved parents 2 and 5 years after losing a child in the Sewol ferry disaster in South Korea. Using thematic analysis, we categorized the experience of stigma into two components based on Corrigan and Kosyluk's social cognitive model of stigma: public stigma and self-stigma, and each was analyzed into three types of stigma: stereotype, prejudice, and discrimination. We identified four additional factors related to stigma mitigation. The potential implications for characterizing the experiences of bereaved parents, particularly those facing stigma, are discussed in light of these findings in the longitudinal perspective.
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Affiliation(s)
- So Jung Heo
- Department of Education, Traumatic Stress Center, 35017Sungkyunkwan University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Young Ae Kim
- Department of Education, Traumatic Stress Center, 35017Sungkyunkwan University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Dong Hun Lee
- Department of Education, Traumatic Stress Center, 35017Sungkyunkwan University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Ji Young Shin
- Department of Education, Traumatic Stress Center, 35017Sungkyunkwan University, Seoul, South Korea
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Haddad M, Young N. Self-harm and suicide: occurrence, risk assessment and management for general nurses. Nurs Stand 2022; 37:71-76. [PMID: 35502573 DOI: 10.7748/ns.2022.e11911] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Suicide is a tragic event that has traumatic and far-reaching effects on families, friends and healthcare professionals, for whom feelings of guilt, blame and regret are common. Although there have been reductions in suicide rates globally and in the UK over past decades, it remains one of the leading causes of death. Assessing and supporting people who present with self-harm and risk of suicide are essential aspects of all nurses' clinical practice. This article explains the relationship between suicide, self-harm and other risk factors. It also provides guidance for general nurses on evidence-based approaches to managing self-harm and assessing suicide risk collaboratively with service users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark Haddad
- Centre for Health Services Research, City University of London School of Health Sciences, London, England
| | - Norman Young
- Early Intervention in Psychosis, Cardiff and Vale University Health Board, Hafan Y Coed, Llandough, Wales
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14
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Levi-Belz Y. Growing together: interpersonal predictors of posttraumatic growth trajectory among suicide-loss survivors. ANXIETY, STRESS, AND COPING 2022; 35:284-297. [PMID: 34314267 DOI: 10.1080/10615806.2021.1958791] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Recent studies have indicated that grieving after suicide loss can be particularly complex and traumatic. However, studies have recognized the opportunity for personal growth among suicide-loss survivors. This study signifies an effort to develop a comprehensive understanding of the underlying interpersonal facilitators of posttraumatic growth (PTG) among suicide-loss survivors in a longitudinal design. METHOD Participants included 189 suicide-loss survivors (155 females), aged 21-73, who completed questionnaires of thwarted belongingness (TB), perceived burdensomeness (PB), and self-disclosure at T1. Moreover, participants were assessed on PTG levels at T1, 18 months (T2), and 42 months (T3). RESULTS The integrated mediation model indicated that both TB and PB contributed to the PTG trajectory. PB and self-disclosure contributed to PTG at T3 beyond the PTG trajectory across time. We also found self-disclosure to mediate the association of TB and PTG at T2 and T3. CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest that interpersonal factors play critical roles in contributing to PTG over time among suicide-loss survivors. Basic psychoeducational interventions designed to foster interpersonal behaviors may facilitate achieving PTG among survivors in the aftermath of suicide loss.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yossi Levi-Belz
- The Lior Tsfaty Center for Suicide and Mental Pain Studies, Ruppin Academic Center, Emek Hefer, Israel.,Department of Behavioral Sciences, Ruppin Academic Center, Emek Hefer, Israel
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15
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A qualitative study exploring the process of postmortem brain tissue donation after suicide. Sci Rep 2022; 12:4710. [PMID: 35304551 PMCID: PMC8933424 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-08729-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2021] [Accepted: 03/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Access to postmortem brain tissue can be valuable in refining knowledge on the pathophysiology and genetics of neuropsychiatric disorders. Obtaining postmortem consent for the donation after death by suicide can be difficult, as families may be overwhelmed by a violent and unexpected death. Examining the process of brain donation can inform on how the request can best be conducted. This is a qualitative study with in-depth interviews with forty-one people that were asked to consider brain donation—32 who had consented to donation and 9 who refused it. Data collection and analyses were carried out according to grounded theory. Five key themes emerged from data analysis: the context of the families, the invitation to talk to the research team, the experience with the request protocol, the participants’ assessment of the experience, and their participation in the study as an opportunity to heal. The participants indicated that a brain donation request that is respectful and tactful can be made without adding to the family distress brought on by suicide and pondering brain donation was seen as an opportunity to transform the meaning of the death and invest it with a modicum of solace for being able to contribute to research.
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16
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Spirituality and Religiosity during Suicide Bereavement: A Qualitative Systematic Review. RELIGIONS 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/rel12090766] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
A loved one’s loss to suicide can be a traumatic experience and trigger a difficult grief process, identity changes, a loss of the sense of meaning and a spiritual crisis. Spirituality and/or religiosity (S/R) can be both an important resource and a source of stigmatisation during suicide bereavement. This study aims to synthesise the extant findings about S/R during suicide bereavement in qualitative studies. After an exhaustive selection of articles, the current review utilised a total of 484 citations and seven studies. A thematic synthesis yielded five major themes related to S/R during suicide bereavement: the need to be helped by the religious community without being judged; S/R-related experience of the deceased as a figure who continues to exist; S/R experienced without a conscious choice; conscious reach towards S/R themes; not relating to S/R during suicide bereavement. These findings indicate that the role of S/R during suicide bereavement is complex and varies from providing help to serving as a source of suffering. Hence, practitioners and religious communities should be mindful of the S/R themes during suicide bereavement.
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Levi-Belz Y, Rotem N. The longitudinal contribution of attachment models and interpersonal factors to posttraumatic growth among suicide-loss survivors. J Clin Psychol 2021; 78:184-200. [PMID: 34191278 DOI: 10.1002/jclp.23204] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2021] [Revised: 05/13/2021] [Accepted: 06/04/2021] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE This study aimed to deepen our understanding of the interpersonal facilitators of posttraumatic growth (PTG) among suicide-loss survivors (SLSs) by focusing on the effects of attachment models on PTG in a 4-year longitudinal design. METHOD One-hundred and fity-two SLSs completed a series of questionnaires tapping attachment models, self-disclosure, social support and PTG in a three-wave study design. RESULTS Attachment models, self-disclosure, and perceived social support at T1 were found to predict PTG levels at T2. Self-disclosure alone predicted PTG at T3. Structural equation modeling analysis revealed that interpersonal factors served as mediators of the relationship between attachment models and PTG beyond the PTG trajectory. CONCLUSIONS Attachment models play an important role in facilitating PTG among SLSs. Thus, therapeutic interventions based on attachment models of self and other specifically designed to promote a sense of self-worth and confidence in others may be valuable in facilitating growth among SLSs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yossi Levi-Belz
- The Lior Tsfaty Center for Suicide and Mental Pain Studies, Ruppin Academic Center, Emek Hefer, Israel.,Department of Behavioral Sciences, Ruppin Academic Center, Emek Hefer, Israel
| | - Noa Rotem
- The Lior Tsfaty Center for Suicide and Mental Pain Studies, Ruppin Academic Center, Emek Hefer, Israel
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Contessa JC, Padoan CS, Silva JLGD, Magalhães PVS. A Qualitative Study on Traumatic Experiences of Suicide Survivors. OMEGA-JOURNAL OF DEATH AND DYING 2021:302228211024486. [PMID: 34176338 DOI: 10.1177/00302228211024486] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The suicide of a loved one can be a traumatic experience. The objective of this study was to investigate trauma-related experiences of suicide survivors. This is a qualitative study with people who had recently lost a family member or a close one to suicide, conducted at least two months after the event. Forty-one participants agreed to take part in the study and were interviewed. The interviewees' perception was that suicide brought harm, symptoms, and suffering. Traumatic experiences can begin immediately after the event, with many reporting symptoms lasting many months and persistent impact, both personal and to the family. Postvention models after suicide should incorporate such findings, and investigate trauma consistently.
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Affiliation(s)
- Júlia Camargo Contessa
- Graduate Program in Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Centro de Pesquisa Clínica, 28124Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Carolina Stopinski Padoan
- Graduate Program in Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Centro de Pesquisa Clínica, 28124Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Jéssica Leandra Gonçalves da Silva
- Graduate Program in Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Centro de Pesquisa Clínica, 28124Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Pedro V S Magalhães
- Graduate Program in Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Centro de Pesquisa Clínica, 28124Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Brazil
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Entilli L, Leo DD, Aiolli F, Polato M, Gaggi O, Cipolletta S. Social Support and Help-Seeking Among Suicide Bereaved: A Study With Italian Survivors. OMEGA-JOURNAL OF DEATH AND DYING 2021; 87:534-553. [PMID: 34128417 DOI: 10.1177/00302228211024112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Research over how suicide survivors approach services is limited. Aims: This cross-sectional study explores the psychological state and perceived social support of Italian survivors, including those who have not sought for help, and investigates differences for gender or kinship with the departed. Methods: Rule-based system (RBS) analyses identified relationships between social support and reported formal/informal help-seeking behavior. One-hundred thirty-two (103F; 27M) suicide survivors (53 having never sought for support) answered an anonymous online survey. Life satisfaction, wellbeing, perceived social support, suicidal ideation and formal/informal help-seeking were investigated. Results: RBS analysis identified different help-seeking behaviors: survivors lacking social support may avoid reaching a psychologist and prefer GPs, look for advice in online forums and rely on people out of their narrower network such as co-workers. Conclusion: These unique study's results offer insight to identify which specific areas would be fruitful to investigate while assessing social support in bereaved individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lorenza Entilli
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
| | - Diego De Leo
- Australian Institute for Suicide Research and Prevention, Griffith University, Nathan, Australia.,Slovene Centre for Suicide Research, University of Primorska, Koper, Slovenia
| | - Fabio Aiolli
- Department of Mathematics, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
| | - Mirko Polato
- Department of Mathematics, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
| | - Ombretta Gaggi
- Department of Mathematics, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
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20
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Levi-Belz Y, Feigelman W. Pulling Together - The Protective Role of Belongingness for Depression, Suicidal Ideation and Behavior Among Suicide-Bereaved Individuals. CRISIS 2021; 43:278-288. [PMID: 34130482 DOI: 10.1027/0227-5910/a000784] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Background: While belongingness has frequently been investigated in the general population as an antidote to experiencing depression, suicidal thoughts, and suicidal behavior, it has rarely been evaluated as a protective factor among individuals bereaved by suicide. Aims: We examined whether perceived belongingness could moderate the differences between suicide-bereaved, suicide-exposed, and nonexposed respondents regarding depression, suicide ideation, and suicide attempts. Method: We conducted an online survey of the adult Israeli population (N = 806), with 203 suicide-bereaved, 266 suicide-exposed, and 377 nonexposed respondents. Participants completed several questionnaires tapping depression and suicidality as well as perceived belongingness levels. Results: Individuals bereaved by suicide reported the highest levels of depression, suicide ideation, and suicide attempts in comparison with suicide-exposed and nonexposed individuals. However, belongingness was found to moderate these distinctions concerning suicide ideation and suicide attempts. Limitations: Belongingness was assessed by only a single question, and the online survey suffered from a relatively high nonresponse rate. Conclusion: Our results suggest that belongingness may act as a potent antidote to the adverse mental health consequences among individuals bereaved by suicide. Clinicians should accord adequate attention to fostering social connectedness among their clients bereaved by suicide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yossi Levi-Belz
- The Lior Tsfaty Center for Suicide and Mental Pain Studies, Ruppin Academic Center, Emek Hefer, Israel.,Department of Behavioral Sciences, Ruppin Academic Center, Emek Hefer, Israel
| | - William Feigelman
- Sociology Department, Nassau Community College, Garden City, NY, USA
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21
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22
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Stemen SE, de Medeiros K, Radina ME. Exploring cause of death as a factor in social convoy membership: the case of Pauline. J Women Aging 2020; 33:170-183. [PMID: 33170100 DOI: 10.1080/08952841.2020.1825033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Research integrating social convoy and continuing bonds frameworks suggests that deceased individuals can be included in convoys as connections may carry on after death. Building on this, we present a qualitative case study that explores whether such relationships are influenced by the way people die. Pauline, 67, compares the "natural" deaths of relatives to her husband's suicide. Analysis of Pauline's interview revealed that the unexplained death of her husband impacted her identity and contributed to his continued existence within her convoy. Consequently, the cause of death may be an important consideration for researchers integrating the social convoy and continuing bonds frameworks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara E Stemen
- Department of Sociology and Gerontology , Miami University, Oxford, Ohio, USA
| | - Kate de Medeiros
- Department of Sociology and Gerontology , Miami University, Oxford, Ohio, USA
| | - M Elise Radina
- Department of Sociology and Gerontology , Miami University, Oxford, Ohio, USA
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23
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Tosini D, Fraccaro D. "Like climbing a glass wall": Suicide survivors in an Italian province. DEATH STUDIES 2020; 46:987-995. [PMID: 32716258 DOI: 10.1080/07481187.2020.1795746] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
The study contributed to understanding suicide grief by focusing on suicide survivors' subjective experience combined with attention to social settings that influenced their interpretations. We interviewed 25 survivors and analyzed field notes from 47 meetings of a suicide support group. We documented the unfolding of typical forms of meaning reconstructions that helped survivors redefine their situation. These forms included searching for reconciliation with the deceased individuals; attempting to tame the tendency to self-blame; and making an effort to reframe social relationships. The support group functioned as a defining agency that assisted the survivors' interpretations and contributed to overcoming conflicting feelings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Domenico Tosini
- Department of Sociology and Social Research, University of Trento, Trento, Italy
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24
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Hybholt L, Berring LL, Erlangsen A, Fleischer E, Toftegaard J, Kristensen E, Toftegaard V, Havn J, Buus N. Older Adults' Conduct of Everyday Life After Bereavement by Suicide: A Qualitative Study. Front Psychol 2020; 11:1131. [PMID: 32636776 PMCID: PMC7316951 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.01131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2020] [Accepted: 05/04/2020] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The loss of a loved one to suicide can be a devastating experience that can have negative long-term effects on the social life and physical and mental health of the bereaved person. Worldwide, an estimated 237 million older adults have experienced suicide bereavement. As assumed in critical psychology, “the conduct of everyday life” reflects the social self-understanding by which people actively organize their lives based on their personal concerns, negotiation with co-participants in various action contexts, and their life interests. Bereaved people may change their social self-understanding as they adjust to their new roles and relationships in everyday life. The aim of this study was to investigate how older adults bereaved by suicide conducted their everyday life during the first 5 years after the loss of a loved one. Methods This was a semi-structured qualitative interview study carried out by a research team consisting of co-researchers (older adults aged ≥60 years and bereaved by suicide), professionals, and researchers. The team conducted 15 semi-structured interviews with 20 older adults bereaved by suicide. The interviews were audio-recorded and verbatim transcribed. The participants’ mean age was 67.6 (range 61–79) years at the time of the loss. Data were thematically analyzed through a “conduct of everyday life” theoretical perspective. Results We constructed a central theme, “the broken notion of late-life living” in that late-life would no longer be as the participants had imagined. They struggled with their understanding of themselves and other people in social communities when they pursued their concerns adjusting to their broken notions of late-life living. We construed three primary concerns: (1) seeking meaning in the suicide, (2) keeping the memory of the deceased alive, and (3) regaining life despite the loss. Conclusion The participants’ bereavement process was influenced by their stage in life. They perceived themselves as having reduced possibilities to restore their life project and limited time to re-orient their life. Age-related factors influenced their possibilities to pursue their concerns in order to adjust to their new life conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisbeth Hybholt
- Center for Relationships and De-escalation, Psychiatry Region Zealand, Slagelse, Denmark
| | - Lene Lauge Berring
- Center for Relationships and De-escalation, Psychiatry Region Zealand, Slagelse, Denmark.,Department of Regional Health Research, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
| | - Annette Erlangsen
- Danish Research Institute for Suicide Prevention, Mental Health Centre Copenhagen, Capital Region of Denmark, Copenhagen, Denmark.,Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, United States.,Centre for Mental Health Research, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - Elene Fleischer
- NEFOS, Network for People Affected by Suicidal Behaviour, Odense, Denmark
| | - Jørn Toftegaard
- NEFOS, Network for People Affected by Suicidal Behaviour, Odense, Denmark
| | - Elin Kristensen
- NEFOS, Network for People Affected by Suicidal Behaviour, Odense, Denmark
| | - Vibeke Toftegaard
- NEFOS, Network for People Affected by Suicidal Behaviour, Odense, Denmark
| | - Jenny Havn
- NEFOS, Network for People Affected by Suicidal Behaviour, Odense, Denmark
| | - Niels Buus
- Department of Regional Health Research, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark.,Sydney Nursing School, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.,St. Vincent's Hospital, Sydney, NSW, Australia.,St. Vincent's Private Hospital, Sydney, NSW, Australia
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25
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Silvén Hagström A. Research-Based Theater and "Stigmatized Trauma": The Case of Suicide Bereavement. Front Psychol 2020; 11:1129. [PMID: 32612552 PMCID: PMC7309597 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.01129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2020] [Accepted: 05/04/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Existing research shows that family members who suffer the loss of a loved one through suicide often experience self-blame and shame, and that this limits their grieving process. It can also lock them into stigmatized positions and the notion that either somebody or a dysfunctional family is to blame for the suicide. Aim This article investigates from a narrative perspective how a theater play might counteract the stigma that surrounds suicide bereavement by contributing destigmatizing understandings of suicide. Methods A theater play was performed in a churchyard theater in Stockholm, Sweden, in 2019. Audience members were asked to write down their free reflections on a form distributed at the theater. In particular, they were asked to assess whether they found the play related to their own lives and, if so, how; and to describe what they had learned. Their written reflections [N = 41] were analyzed from a narrative methodological perspective to investigate their responses to the play. Three categories of audience member were identified from their responses: people with their own suicide bereavement experiences; people with similar but different experiences of stigmatized trauma; and people who did not report any experiences of suicide or stigmatized trauma. Results The suicide-bereaved generally reported familiarity with the thematic performed, in particular the "why question," the blame and shame responses and the silenced family communication. Most of these aspects were also shared by those affected by other types of stigmatized trauma. Respondents from all categories emphasized how they had learned that suicide is a desperate rather than a deliberated act, caused by overwhelming emotional pain or depression. Ultimately, suicide was perceived as an involuntary death caused by complex interacting factors linked to both inner vulnerabilities and stressful life events, for which no one was to blame. Conclusion The results show that research-based theater isa time-limited and cost-effective method of introducing alternative meanings and identities to both individual mourners and the broader cultural context from which stigma originates, and how it can have destigmatizing effects on a stigmatized trauma such as suicide bereavement.
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26
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Kennedy AJ, Brumby SA, Versace VL, Brumby-Rendell T. The ripple effect: a digital intervention to reduce suicide stigma among farming men. BMC Public Health 2020; 20:813. [PMID: 32471501 PMCID: PMC7260777 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-020-08954-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2019] [Accepted: 05/19/2020] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Compared with the general population, Australian farmers-particularly men-have been identified as at greater risk of suicide. A complex range of factors are thought to contribute to this risk, including the experience of Stigma. stigma also impacts those who have attempted suicide, their carers, and those bereaved by suicide-manifesting as shame, guilt, social isolation, concealment of death, reduced help seeking and ongoing risk of suicide. This paper evaluates the effectiveness of an intervention, tailored for the farming context, designed to reduce stigma among farming men with a lived experience of suicide. METHODS The digital intervention used an adult learning model providing opportunity to share insights, reflect, learn and apply new knowledge among people with shared farming interests, suicide experience and cultural context. A range of content-tailored to the gender, farming type and suicide experience of participants-included video stories, postcard messages, education and personal goal setting. Pre- and post- assessment of suicide stigma and literacy was complemented by qualitative data collection during the intervention and participant feedback surveys. RESULTS The intervention was successful in reaching members of the target group from across Australia's rural communities-with diverse geographic locations and farming industries represented. One hundred and sixty-nine participants from the target group (farming males aged 30-64 years) were recruited. While the Stigma of Suicide Scale failed to identify a reduction in self- or perceived-stigma, qualitative data and participant feedback identified behavioural indicators of stigma reduction. Four subthemes-'growth', 'new realisations', 'hope' and 'encouragement'-highlighted attitudinal and behaviour change indicative of reduced stigma associated with mental health and suicide. Participants' baseline suicide literacy (Literacy of Suicide Scale) was high when compared with previous community samples and total literacy scores did not demonstrate significant improvement over time, although literacy about the link between suicide and alcoholism did significantly improve. CONCLUSIONS These results highlight opportunities in groups with high suicide literacy for targeted stigma reduction and suicide prevention efforts for both the target group and other populations within Australia and internationally. Results also highlight the need to reassess how stigma change is understood and evaluated across a wider range of population groups. TRIAL REGISTRATION This research project was registered with the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ANZCTR) (ACTRN12616000289415) on 7th March, 2016.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alison J. Kennedy
- Deakin University/National Centre for Farmer Health, 75 Pigdons Road, Waurn Ponds, VIC 3216 Australia
| | - Susan A. Brumby
- Deakin University/National Centre for Farmer Health, 75 Pigdons Road, Waurn Ponds, VIC 3216 Australia
- Deakin Rural Health, Deakin University, 75 Pigdons Road, Waurn Ponds, VIC 3216 Australia
| | - Vincent Lawrence Versace
- National Centre for Farmer Health, Western District Health Service, PO Box 283, Hamilton, VIC 3300 Australia
| | - Tristan Brumby-Rendell
- Deakin Rural Health, Deakin University, 75 Pigdons Road, Waurn Ponds, VIC 3216 Australia
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27
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Evans A, Abrahamson K. The Influence of Stigma on Suicide Bereavement: A Systematic Review. J Psychosoc Nurs Ment Health Serv 2020; 58:21-27. [PMID: 32065654 DOI: 10.3928/02793695-20200127-02] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2019] [Accepted: 11/19/2019] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Suicide loss affects a significant proportion of the population, and despite its prevalence there remains a stigma surrounding death by suicide. It is important for health professionals to understand the effects of suicide stigma on surviving friends and family members so that they can respond appropriately and provide effective support. A systematic review of the literature was conducted to evaluate the impact of public stigma on bereavement of suicide survivors. A total of 11 qualitative and quantitative studies were reviewed. Suicide survivors reported feeling shamed, blamed, and judged. They perceived a general discomfort and awkwardness surrounding the suicide, which contributed to avoidance and secrecy. Higher perceived stigma levels were associated with global psychological distress, depression, self-harm, and suicidality. Despite the recognized negative impact of suicide stigma on the bereaved, studies on grief interventions for suicide survivors are scarce. There is a critical need for research and evidence-based recommendations on how to best to support this vulnerable population. [Journal of Psychosocial Nursing and Mental Health Services, 58(4), 21-27.].
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Wainwright V, Cordingley L, Chew-Graham CA, Kapur N, Shaw J, Smith S, McGale B, McDonnell S. Experiences of support from primary care and perceived needs of parents bereaved by suicide: a qualitative study. Br J Gen Pract 2020; 70:e102-e110. [PMID: 31932295 PMCID: PMC6960001 DOI: 10.3399/bjgp20x707849] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2019] [Accepted: 07/14/2019] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND People bereaved by suicide are a vulnerable group, also at risk of dying by suicide. The importance of postvention support (intervention after suicide) has recently been highlighted; however, little is known about the support needs of parents bereaved by suicide in the UK, and the role played by general practice. AIM To explore the perspectives, experiences, and support needs of parents bereaved by suicide. DESIGN AND SETTING This was a qualitative study, with semi-structured interviews conducted between 2012 and 2014 in the north of England and the Midlands, with parents bereaved by their son or daughter's suicide. METHOD Interviews explored parents' experiences of suicide bereavement following the death of their son or daughter, with a focus on their experiences of support from primary care. Interviews were analysed thematically using constant comparison. RESULTS Twenty-three interviews were conducted. Three themes were identified from the data: the importance of not feeling alone; perceived barriers to accessing support; and the need for signposting for additional support. Some parents reported having experienced good support from their general practice; others described a number of barriers to accessing help, including triage processes. Primary care was considered to be an important avenue of support but GPs were often perceived as uncertain how to respond. The need for information, signposting to avenues of support, and the helpfulness of group support were also highlighted. CONCLUSION Parents believed it was important that people working in general practice have an awareness of suicide bereavement and understanding of their needs, including knowledge of where to direct people for further support.
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Affiliation(s)
- Verity Wainwright
- Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester
| | - Lis Cordingley
- Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester
| | - Carolyn A Chew-Graham
- Midlands Partnership NHS Foundation Trust; NIHR Applied Research Collaboration (ARC), West Midlands; School of Primary, Community and Social Care, Keele University, Keele, Staffordshire
| | - Nav Kapur
- Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester; Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust; NIHR Patient Safety Translational Research Centre
| | - Jenny Shaw
- Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester; Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust
| | | | - Barry McGale
- Suicide Bereavement UK; director, National Suicide Research Foundation Ireland, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland; patron, Support After Suicide Partnership, Suicide Bereavement UK, Manchester
| | - Sharon McDonnell
- Suicide Bereavement UK; honorary research fellow, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester
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Spillane A, Matvienko-Sikar K, Larkin C, Corcoran P, Arensman E. How suicide-bereaved family members experience the inquest process: a qualitative study using thematic analysis. Int J Qual Stud Health Well-being 2019; 14:1563430. [PMID: 30693845 PMCID: PMC6352946 DOI: 10.1080/17482631.2018.1563430] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/17/2018] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE Suicide bereavement confers unique risk and distress. In several countries, bereaved family members are called on to attend an inquest, an official public inquiry into deaths caused by external factors. The current study aimed to explore how suicide-bereaved family members (n = 18) experienced the inquest process, through qualitative semi-structured interviews. METHOD Participants were identified via coroner's records and had previously taken part in a case-control study. RESULTS Qualitative findings indicated four overall themes with respect to family members' experiences of the inquest process: "inquest as fearfully unknown", "structural processes of the inquest", "enduring public and private pain to obtain answers" and "gaining answers and making sense". Most family members experienced distress and fear as a result of several elements of the inquest process. Some participants had positive experiences but these did not outweigh the distress experienced by the majority of family members regarding their overall experience of the inquest process. CONCLUSIONS Key recommendations include informing family members of the main aspects and purpose of the inquest process beforehand, adapting the process to maximise the privacy and comfort of the bereaved relatives, and restricting graphic evidence being heard, where possible, to minimise distress experienced by family members.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ailbhe Spillane
- School of Public Health, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
- National Suicide Research Foundation, Cork, Ireland
| | | | - Celine Larkin
- Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Paul Corcoran
- School of Public Health, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
- National Suicide Research Foundation, Cork, Ireland
| | - Ella Arensman
- School of Public Health, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
- National Suicide Research Foundation, Cork, Ireland
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30
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Muehlenkamp JJ, Thoen SK. Short- and Long-Term Impact of an Undergraduate Suicidology Course. Suicide Life Threat Behav 2019; 49:1573-1586. [PMID: 30977549 DOI: 10.1111/sltb.12552] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2018] [Accepted: 01/03/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Suicide prevention models emphasize the importance of education as a foundational element for success. Yet, courses on suicidology are rare and those that do exist focus on clinical intervention skills at the graduate level, missing a critical population of undergraduate students. The current study evaluated the short and long-term impact of a semester long liberal education undergraduate course in suicidology. METHOD Students enrolled in either the experimental (Understanding Suicide) or control course completed pre- post- and 4-month follow-up surveys assessing objective knowledge about suicide, suicide stigma, attitudes towards suicidal persons, and suicide prevention advocacy. RESULTS Mixed repeated measures ANCOVAs indicated significant interactions between course enrollment over time for all the outcome variables. Students in the suicidology course showed significant pre- to post- increases in knowledge and suicide prevention advocacy, alongside reductions in suicide stigma and negative attitudes compared to students in the control course, who showed no significant pre-/post changes. All effects were maintained over time. CONCLUSION Providing general education undergraduate courses in suicidology may be an important avenue for building a motivated and informed public that can sustain suicide prevention efforts in their communities.
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Ohayi SR. “Doctor, please don’t say he died by suicide”: exploring the burden of suicide survivorship in a developing country. EGYPTIAN JOURNAL OF FORENSIC SCIENCES 2019. [DOI: 10.1186/s41935-019-0153-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
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Abstract
This article analyzes the negotiation of taboo surrounding grief after the suicide of a loved one. It draws on ethnographic fieldwork with a support group and individual interviews with its members. While the topic of taboo was prominent at group meetings, the same group members tended to claim in the interviews that they had not experienced it. To explore the issue of taboo, beyond affirmation or denial of its existence, we analyzed how the bereaved navigated the topic of suicide in language using Werner’s psychological theory of metaphor, which argues that metaphors arise to circumvent explicit reference to tabooed subjects. Members of the grief group clearly developed different strategies of metaphorical and other linguistic rephrasing to deal with the topics of death and suicide. Additionally, their language use differed depending on the person’s attitude toward the suicide, whether he or she was alone or with other group members, as well as whether the general public was being framed as an out-group.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Brady Wagoner
- Center for Cultural Psychology, Aalborg University, Denmark
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Pak K, Ferreira KE, Ghahramanlou-Holloway M. Suicide Postvention for the United States Military: Literature Review, Conceptual Model, and Recommendations. Arch Suicide Res 2019; 23:179-202. [PMID: 29393834 DOI: 10.1080/13811118.2018.1428704] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Suicide continues to be a significant public health problem in the United States and the Department of Defense (DoD). Timely and systematic postvention efforts can play an instrumental role in helping family members, peers, and military command to best manage the aftermath of a suicide. To date, several postvention efforts have been implemented in the military. However, there continues to be an overall lack of understanding of the specific short- and long-term effects of exposure to military suicide. In addition, more emphasis needs to be placed on empirically driven approaches to postvention and program evaluation. The purpose of this article is threefold: (1) to provide a summary of the postvention literature with special emphasis placed on the military organization; (2) to propose a conceptual model as a framework for understanding Military-Unit Suicide Survivorship; and (3) to briefly highlight postvention strategies within the DoD in the context of a number of research, clinical, and policy recommendations.
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Lev-Ari L, Levi-Belz Y. Interpersonal theory dimensions facilitate posttraumatic growth among suicide-loss survivors: An attachment perspective. DEATH STUDIES 2018; 43:582-590. [PMID: 30285584 DOI: 10.1080/07481187.2018.1504351] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2017] [Revised: 05/09/2018] [Accepted: 06/04/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Many studies have highlighted the deleterious psychological impact of suicide on bereaved individuals. We examined the psychological processes facilitating posttraumatic growth (PTG) among 124 suicide-loss survivors, focusing on attachment styles, perceived burdensomeness, and thwarted belongingness. Securely attached individuals achieved higher PTG than insecurely attached individuals. Perceived burdensomeness and thwarted belongingness both mediated and moderated the associations between attachment and PTG. Anxiously or avoidantly attached individuals who also had a high level of perceived burdensomeness were the least likely to achieve PTG. Thus, these individuals may derive particular benefit from attachment-based therapeutic interventions focusing on interpersonal relationships.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lilac Lev-Ari
- Behavioral Sciences Department, Ruppin Academic Center , Emek Hefer , Israel
| | - Yossi Levi-Belz
- Behavioral Sciences Department, Ruppin Academic Center , Emek Hefer , Israel
- The Suicide and Mental Pain Study Center, Ruppin Academic Center , Emek Hefer , Israel
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Gazit Z. Enfranchising grief following suicide: A case study of an Israeli social organization. DEATH STUDIES 2018; 42:548-554. [PMID: 29338659 DOI: 10.1080/07481187.2017.1408154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Researchers have yet to explore suicide survivors activities in social organizations, which was the present purpose. I studied an Israeli organization, Path to Life, by interviewing 16 members, attending 11 events, and examining media, online, and print information. Although mainly comprised of activists whose loss occurred in civilian circumstances, frame analysis revealed that the organization emphasizes connections between suicide and esteemed military-related death. By relying on a legitimate model of dealing with death, the activists provided meaning to suicide and promoted a sociocultural change through drawing attention to a silenced death, upgrading the suicide victims' status, and enfranchising survivors' grief.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zohar Gazit
- a Department of Sociology and Anthropology , The Hebrew University of Jerusalem , Jerusalem , Israel
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Groh CJ, Anthony M, Gash J. The Aftermath of Suicide: A Qualitative Study With Guyanese Families. Arch Psychiatr Nurs 2018; 32:469-474. [PMID: 29784232 DOI: 10.1016/j.apnu.2018.01.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2017] [Revised: 01/08/2018] [Accepted: 01/19/2018] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The suicide rate in Guyana was five times higher than the world average in 2014 (WHO) which puts Guyana at the top of the list with 44.2 per 100,000 people, the highest suicide rate in the world. For every completed suicide, there are survivors who experience high levels of psychological, physical, and social distress, and report feelings of guilt, shame, social stigma, and search for meaning. AIM The aim of this qualitative study was to explore how family members coped and understand the suicide of their loved one, and to determine what resources were available to help them during this transition. METHOD Ten family members were recruited to participate in a focus group. The focus group lasted approximately 90 min and was recorded. The audio recordings were later transcribed. RESULTS Four overarching themes emerged from the data: (1) perceived causes of suicide, (2) perceived solutions, (3) barriers to helping persons who are suicidal, and (4) personal and community reactions to suicide. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE Nurses in Guyana are uniquely positioned to take a leadership role in creating and implementing postvention programs for suicide survivors that are culturally and ethnically relevant. Opportunities to partner with schools of nursing in higher income countries are explored.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carla J Groh
- University of Detroit Mercy, 4001 W. McNichols Road, Detroit, MI 48219, United States.
| | - Maureen Anthony
- University of Detroit Mercy, 4001 W. McNichols Road, Detroit, MI 48219, United States.
| | - Jean Gash
- University of Detroit Mercy, 4001 W. McNichols Road, Detroit, MI 48219, United States.
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Pitman A, De Souza T, Khrisna Putri A, Stevenson F, King M, Osborn D, Morant N. Support Needs and Experiences of People Bereaved by Suicide: Qualitative Findings from a Cross-Sectional British Study of Bereaved Young Adults. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2018; 15:ijerph15040666. [PMID: 29614053 PMCID: PMC5923708 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph15040666] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2018] [Revised: 03/29/2018] [Accepted: 03/29/2018] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
People bereaved by suicide are at increased risk of suicide, but evidence is lacking that available interventions reduce suicide risk. Few large-scale studies have described the views of suicide-bereaved people regarding their needs for support. Our objective was to explore the nature of young adults' experiences of support after bereavement by suicide and their views on valued and unhelpful aspects. We conducted a cross-sectional study of staff and students aged 18-40 at 37 United Kingdom (UK) higher educational institutions in 2010, eliciting qualitative responses to two questions probing experiences of support and unmet needs after the suicide of a close contact. We conducted thematic analysis of responses from 420 adults bereaved by suicide, of whom 75% had received support after the loss. We identified three broad descriptive areas corresponding to important aspects of support: value and experiences of the support received; views on specific support needs; and reasons for not seeking support. We found that needs for emotional support exist throughout the social networks of people who die by suicide but are often hidden. Our findings suggest a need for proactive offers of support from family, friends, and professionals after suicide, repeated regularly in case a bereaved person does not feel ready for support early on.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra Pitman
- UCL Division of Psychiatry, University College London, Maple House, 149 Tottenham Court Road, London W1T 7NF, UK.
- Camden and Islington NHS Foundation Trust, St Pancras Hospital, London NW1 0PE, UK.
| | - Tanisha De Souza
- North East London NHS Foundation Trust, Memory Service, Broad Street Health Centre, Morland Road, Dagenham, Essex RM10 9HU, UK.
| | - Adelia Khrisna Putri
- UGM Faculty of Psychology, Jl. Sosio Humaniora 1, Sleman, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Yogyakarta 55281, Indonesia.
| | - Fiona Stevenson
- UCL Research Department of Primary Care & Population Health, Rowland Hill St, London NW3 2PF, UK.
| | - Michael King
- UCL Division of Psychiatry, University College London, Maple House, 149 Tottenham Court Road, London W1T 7NF, UK.
| | - David Osborn
- UCL Division of Psychiatry, University College London, Maple House, 149 Tottenham Court Road, London W1T 7NF, UK.
- Camden and Islington NHS Foundation Trust, St Pancras Hospital, London NW1 0PE, UK.
| | - Nicola Morant
- UCL Division of Psychiatry, University College London, Maple House, 149 Tottenham Court Road, London W1T 7NF, UK.
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Scholz B, Bocking J, Happell B. Improving exchange with consumers within mental health organizations: Recognizing mental ill health experience as a 'sneaky, special degree'. Int J Ment Health Nurs 2018; 27:227-235. [PMID: 28145617 DOI: 10.1111/inm.12312] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/30/2016] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Stigmatizing views towards consumers may be held even by those working within mental health organizations. Contemporary mental health policies require organizations to work collaboratively with consumers in producing and delivering services. Using social exchange theory, which emphasises mutual exchange to maximise benefits in partnership, the current study explores the perspectives of those working within organizations that have some level of consumer leadership. Interviews were conducted with 14 participants from a range of mental health organizations. Data were transcribed, and analyzed using thematic analytic and discursive psychological techniques. Findings suggest stigma is still prevalent even in organizations that have consumers in leadership positions, and consumers are often perceived as less able to work in mental health organizations than non-consumers. Several discourses challenged such a view - showing how consumers bring value to mental health organizations through their expertise in the mental health system, and their ability to provide safety and support to other consumers. Through a social exchange theory lens, the authors call for organizations to challenge stigma and promote the value that consumers can bring to maximize mutual benefits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brett Scholz
- SYNERGY Nursing and Midwifery Research Centre, University of Canberra and ACT Health, The Canberra Hospital, Garran, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
| | - Julia Bocking
- SYNERGY Nursing and Midwifery Research Centre, University of Canberra and ACT Health, The Canberra Hospital, Garran, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
| | - Brenda Happell
- SYNERGY Nursing and Midwifery Research Centre, University of Canberra and ACT Health, The Canberra Hospital, Garran, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
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Pritchard TR, Buckle JL. Meaning-making after partner suicide: A narrative exploration using the meaning of loss codebook. DEATH STUDIES 2018; 42:35-44. [PMID: 28541774 DOI: 10.1080/07481187.2017.1334007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
This study explored meaning-making in the narratives of survivors of partner suicide. The 117 posts of 50 users of a public online grief support forum were analyzed using the Meaning of Loss Codebook (MLC; Gillies, Neimeyer, & Milman, 2014 ). There was evidence of substantial psychological distress and an ongoing struggle to make meaning of the death, in addition to focusing on memories, longing for the deceased, and efforts to actively cope with the loss. Given the importance of meaning-making in the adjustment to loss, and through the application of the MLC, these findings deepen the understanding of this component of grief.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tyler R Pritchard
- a Psychology Program, Grenfell Campus, Memorial University , Corner Brook , NL , Canada
| | - Jennifer L Buckle
- a Psychology Program, Grenfell Campus, Memorial University , Corner Brook , NL , Canada
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Sellin L, Asp M, Kumlin T, Wallsten T, Wiklund Gustin L. To be present, share and nurture: a lifeworld phenomenological study of relatives' participation in the suicidal person's recovery. Int J Qual Stud Health Well-being 2017; 12:1287985. [PMID: 28245364 PMCID: PMC5345596 DOI: 10.1080/17482631.2017.1287985] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/10/2017] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
In today's health care, participation is acknowledged as important. However, there is limited research on how relatives of patients at risk of suicide experience their opportunities to participate in care during periods when their close ones are subject to inpatient care. The aim of this study was to describe the phenomenon of participation, as experienced by relatives of persons who are subject to inpatient psychiatric care due to a risk of suicide. The study was conducted through a reflective lifeworld research (RLR) approach, based on phenomenological philosophy. Eight relatives of patients receiving care from professionals in a psychiatric specialist health care context in Sweden participated in phenomenon-oriented interviews. Data were analysed to elucidate a meaning structure of the phenomenon. The findings show that the phenomenon of participation was more associated with patients' recovery processes than with the caring process, and means "being actively involved in a process in which the person regains the desire to live". The meaning of participation is further described by its meaning constituents: struggling for being able to be present for the person at risk of suicide, being able to share everyday life, and nurturing sources for vitality. These insights into the meaning of participation highlight the importance of allowing supportive relatives to be a part of the patient's life, while the person is cared for in an inpatient hospital setting. Thus, participation enables relatives to be acknowledged as resourceful human beings in the patient's recovery process, and thereby facilitates a sense of being able to manage and share life itself together with the person. This means that mental health nurses need to recognize individual variations of relatives' participation processes, and take on the responsibility of acknowledging relatives' lifeworlds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linda Sellin
- School of Health, Care and Social Welfare, Mälardalen University, Västerås, Sweden
| | - Margareta Asp
- School of Health, Care and Social Welfare, Mälardalen University, Eskilstuna, Sweden
| | - Tomas Kumlin
- School of Health, Care and Social Welfare, Mälardalen University, Västerås, Sweden
| | - Tuula Wallsten
- Centre for Clinical Research, Uppsala University, County Hospital, Västerås, Sweden
| | - Lena Wiklund Gustin
- School of Health, Care and Social Welfare, Mälardalen University, Västerås, Sweden
- Department of Health and Care Sciences, UiT/The Archtic University of Norway, Campus Narvik, Norway
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Kearns M, Muldoon OT, Msetfi RM, Surgenor PWG. Darkness into light? Identification with the crowd at a suicide prevention fundraiser promotes well-being amongst participants. EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY 2017. [DOI: 10.1002/ejsp.2304] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Michelle Kearns
- Centre for Social Issues Research, Department of Psychology; University of Limerick; Limerick Ireland
| | - Orla T. Muldoon
- Centre for Social Issues Research, Department of Psychology; University of Limerick; Limerick Ireland
- Health Research Institute; University of Limerick; Limerick Ireland
| | - Rachel M. Msetfi
- Centre for Social Issues Research, Department of Psychology; University of Limerick; Limerick Ireland
- Health Research Institute; University of Limerick; Limerick Ireland
| | - Paul W. G. Surgenor
- Pieta House; Centre for the Prevention of Suicide and Self-Harm; Dublin Ireland
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Abstract
The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the characteristics of posttraumatic growth arising from losing an immediate family member to suicide in Korea. We used interpretative phenomenological analysis for data collection and analysis and conducted in-depth interviews with 11 participants in Korea to evaluate the positive changes subsequent to the suicide. Participants revealed positive outcomes in response to losing an immediate family member to suicide after suffering the “most unimaginable pain” including (a) “Now I know what the most important thing in life is,” (b) “Warm and intimate relationships matter,” and (c) “Survivors of suicide’s search for meaning.” The implications of these findings and avenues for future research are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eunjin Lee
- Department of Psychology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Sung won Kim
- Department of Education, Yonsei University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Robert D. Enright
- Department of Educational Psychology, University of Wisconsin–Madison, WI, USA
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Talseth AG, Gilje FL. Liberating burdensomeness of suicide survivorship loss: A Critical Interpretive Synthesis. J Clin Nurs 2017; 26:3843-3858. [PMID: 28252831 DOI: 10.1111/jocn.13797] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/20/2017] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
AIMS AND OBJECTIVES What is an interpreted and synthesised understanding of responses of survivors to a suicide death of a close person? BACKGROUND It is well known that survivors of suicide loss who are in a close relationship with the deceased are at high risk for suicidality and health conditions. Nurses in various settings need evidenced-informed approaches to encounter these vulnerable persons and support their healing journey from postvention to prevention. DESIGN The design is reflexive and iterative. METHOD A Critical Interpretive Synthesis comprised of six phases: formulating the review question; searching literature; sampling; determining quality; extracting data; interpretive synthesis. Qualitative content analysis was also. RESULTS Based on a sample of 15 published full-text qualitative and quantitative nursing research studies published between 1990 and 2016, an aggregated, interpreted and synthesised understanding of responses of survivors of suicide loss to the suicide death of a close person emerged. Four synthesised concepts were: dreading burden of suicide risk and stigma; facing burdensomeness in the aftermath of suicide death; enduring being burdened-unburdened, striving to invest in living; and liberating burdensomeness, journeying toward healing. CONCLUSIONS Contextually, geo-cultural gaps exist in published nursing studies. Most studies were from North American and a few from Asia. The reported suicide deaths occurred over a wide range of time. Conceptually, four synthesised concepts can be viewed as a process of moving from burdensomeness to liberating burdensomeness. Methodologically, a small body of knowledge that met quality appraisal was interpreted and synthesised into an understanding of an evidenced-informed approach to guide nurses' encounters with survivors of suicide loss. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE The results contribute to an evidenced-informed approach for nurses in practice to support survivors of suicide loss journeying from burdensomeness to liberating burdensomeness. Results also serve as a foundation for further research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne-Grethe Talseth
- Department of Health and Care Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University in Tromsø, Tromsø, Norway
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Spillane A, Larkin C, Corcoran P, Matvienko-Sikar K, Arensman E. What are the physical and psychological health effects of suicide bereavement on family members? Protocol for an observational and interview mixed-methods study in Ireland. BMJ Open 2017; 7:e014707. [PMID: 28363930 PMCID: PMC5387930 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2016-014707] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Research indicates that experiencing the suicide of a relative can have a significant impact on family members' emotional health. However, research incorporating the impact of suicide bereavement on family members' physical health is sparse. This paper details the protocol for a mixed-methods study of suicide-bereaved family members. The study will primarily examine the physical and mental health needs of those bereaved by suicide. A secondary objective of the study is to describe the support service needs of family members bereaved by suicide. METHODS AND ANALYSIS A mixed-methods approach, using semistructured interviews and self-report questionnaires, will be used. Interviews will be conducted with a group of 15-20 relatives who experienced suicide bereavement. This protocol will follow the COREQ checklist criteria for the reporting of qualitative research interviews. Thematic analysis will be used to examine experiences and impact of bereavement on psychological and physical health. Self-report quantitative data on well-being will be analysed using descriptive statistics. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION Ethical approval to conduct this study has been granted from the Clinical Research Ethics Committee of the Cork Teaching Hospitals. Pseudonyms will be given to participants to protect anonymity. It will be explained to participants that participation in the study is voluntary and they have to right to withdraw at any time. The findings of this research will be disseminated to regional, national and international audiences through publication in peer-reviewed international journals and presentations at scientific conferences. This research also forms part of a PhD thesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ailbhe Spillane
- Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Cork, Ireland
- National Suicide Research Foundation, Cork, Ireland
| | | | - Paul Corcoran
- Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Cork, Ireland
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Cork University Maternity Hospital, Cork, Ireland
| | | | - Ella Arensman
- Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Cork, Ireland
- National Suicide Research Foundation, Cork, Ireland
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Scocco P, Preti A, Totaro S, Ferrari A, Toffol E. Stigma and psychological distress in suicide survivors. J Psychosom Res 2017; 94:39-46. [PMID: 28183401 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychores.2016.12.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2016] [Revised: 12/24/2016] [Accepted: 12/28/2016] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Suicide bereavement is frequently related to clinically significant psychological distress and affected by stigma. This study was designed to evaluate the relationship between psychological distress by psychopathological domains and stigma, in a sample of individuals bereaved by suicide (suicide survivors). METHODS The data were collected between January 2012 and December 2014 and included information on sociodemographic variables (gender, age, marital status and education level) and responses to the Stigma of Suicide Survivor scale (STOSSS) and the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI). One hundred and fifty-five suicide survivors completed the evaluation and were included in the study. RESULTS Levels of psychological distress in suicide survivors, as measured by BSI, were positively related to levels of perceived stigma toward suicide survivors, as measured by STOSSS. The association was not affected by age and gender, or by marital status, education level, days from suicide or a personal history of suicide attempt. Participants with higher scores on almost all subscales of the BSI, particularly the interpersonal sensitivity and paranoid ideation subscales, reported the highest levels of perceived stigma toward suicide survivors. CONCLUSION Levels of distress in subjects bereaved by the suicide of a relative or friend were positively associated with levels of perceived stigma toward suicide survivors. Specific interventions dedicated to the bereavement of suicide survivors might help to alleviate not only psychological distress but also stigma towards loss by suicide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paolo Scocco
- Soproxi Project, via Vesalio 10, Padova, Italy; Mental Health Department, via Buzzaccarini 1, ULSS 6 Euganea, Padova, Italy.
| | - Antonio Preti
- Genneruxi Medical Center, via Costantinopoli 42, 09129 Cagliari, Italy.
| | | | | | - Elena Toffol
- Soproxi Project, via Vesalio 10, Padova, Italy; Department of Health, National Institute for Health and Welfare, Mannerheimintie 166 A, Helsinki, Finland.
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