Citation

Rubey CT, McIntosh JL. Suicide Life Threat. Behav. 1996; 26(4): 351-358.

Affiliation

Catholic Charities, Chicago, IL 60661, USA.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1996, American Association of Suicidology, Publisher John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

9014264

Abstract

Little is known about the nature of suicide survivors groups. Survey responses by 149 U.S. and Canadian groups are characterized as follows: (1) they are most often sponsored by mental health or social service agencies or have no sponsor; (2) groups have operated an average of 8 to 9 years; (3) fewer than 10 people typically attend monthly or twice monthly meetings; (4) group experience predominantly involves sharing personal experiences; (5) leadership generally involves either trained facilitators, mental health professionals, or both; (6) most groups are open ended; (7) all social/ethnic, income, and adult age groups are served, but few children and teenagers attend; and (8) referrals come predominantly by word-of-mouth or medical and religious sources. Further research is required regarding survivor group attributes and processes.