Citation

Wojtkowiak J, Wild V, Egger J. Suicide Life Threat. Behav. 2012; 42(1): 56-66.

Affiliation

Joanna Wojtkowiak, Department of Nursing Home Medicine, EMGO+ Institute for Health and Care Research, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Verena Wild, Behavioural Science Institute, Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, The Netherlands; Jos Egger, Centre of Excellence for Neuropsychiatry, Vincent van Gogh Institute for Psychiatry, Venray, The Netherlands; Behavioural Science Institute, Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, The Netherlands; Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, The Netherlands; Pompe Institute for Forensic Psychiatry, Forum GGZ, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2012, American Association of Suicidology, Publisher John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1111/j.1943-278X.2011.00070.x

PMID

22276805

Abstract

Suicide is generally viewed as an unexpected cause of death. However, some suicides might be expected to a certain extent, which needs to be further studied. The relationships between expecting suicide, feeling understanding for the suicide, and later grief experiences were explored. In total, 142 bereaved participants completed the Grief Experience Questionnaire and additional measurements on expectance and understanding. Results supported the prediction of a link between expecting suicide and understanding the suicide. Higher expectance and understanding were related to less searching for explanation and preoccupation with the suicide. There was no direct association with other grief experiences. We conclude that more attention should be brought to the relation between expecting the suicide of a loved one and later grief responses in research and in clinical practice.

Language: en