Citation

Mauk GW, Gibson DG, Rodgers PL. Educ. Treat. Child. 1994; 17(4): 468-483.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1994, West Virginia University Press)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Completed suicide among adolescents in the United States is a critical problem. The act of suicide involves not only the deceased adolescent, but also affects friends and acquaintances who are left to deal with the traumatic aftermath of the event. These peer survivors are burdened cognitively, socially, and emotionally, and often require postvention assistance, optimally centered in the school milieu. Postvention consultation, provided by mental health professionals either external or internal to the affected school or school system, is requisite to address the documented phenomenon of suicide contagion and to establish a sense of control and a supportive, caring environment. In the current paper, the rationale for school-based postvention consultation is discussed, various arguments for utilization of external and internal consultants are reviewed, basic goals of postvention consultation in schools are delineated, and an ecological systems view of postvention consultation is advocated.

Language: en