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Abstract
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Experiencing the suicide of a close person often signifies a major disruptive stressor, exacerbating the risks of social, physical, and mental health problems, and suicidal behavior in the bereaved individuals (Pitman et al., 2014). Common grief reactions after any death include feelings of sadness, longing, guilt, and anger. Compared to other forms of bereavement, people bereaved by suicide may experience more shock or trauma related to the unexpected or violent nature of the death, and more feelings of abandonment, rejection, and shame (Jordan and McIntosh, 2011a). They may struggle more with meaning-making and "why" -questions, and experience less social support (Feigelman et al., 2009; Castelli Dransart, 2013).
Compared with the general population, people bereaved by suicide have a higher risk of suicidal behavior, and mental health problems such as depression, anxiety, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and substance abuse (Erlangsen et al., 2017). Suicide bereavement also represents a risk factor for complicated grief (Bellini et al., 2018). Those bereaved who have a personal or family history of mental health and/or suicidal behavior appear to be more vulnerable to the negative psychosocial outcomes (Andriessen et al., 2016; Pitman et al., 2016). Despite these challenges, people bereaved by suicide can also experience personal and posttraumatic growth (Castelli Dransart, 2016; Genest et al., 2017; Levi-Belz et al., 2020). Research has shown that ~1 in 5 people may experience a suicide during their lifetime highlighting the public and mental health importance of loss by suicide (Andriessen et al., 2017c).
This Research Topic aimed to broaden our understanding of grief after suicide, with regards to the needs of bereaved individuals and communities, and how to best help the bereaved, within a health psychology context. As such, the Research Topic expands the focus of previous work in this field (Jordan and McIntosh, 2011b; Andriessen et al., 2017b). The 16 published studies fall into three broad categories: (a) the experience of suicide bereavement (8 studies), (b) the impact of a death by suicide on professionals (3 studies), and (c) interventions (5 studies).
Experiences of Suicide Bereavement
Regarding the experience of suicide bereavement, Feigelman and Cerel (USA) conducted a survey investigating feelings of blameworthiness in bereaved parents. Blameworthiness related to participants' perception of what they may have done (or not done) that could have contributed to their child's death, including suicide. The study found that feelings of blameworthiness strongly correlated with grief difficulties and mental health problems, such as complicated grief, PTSD, and depression.
Levi-Belz and Gilo (Israel) explored the moderating role of self-forgiveness regarding emotional distress in people bereaved by suicide. The study found that accepting one's mistakes and fostering positive emotions, thoughts, and behaviors toward oneself can be a protective factor against depression and suicidality in people bereaved by suicide. The study findings indicated the possible efficacy of forgiveness-based interventions in this population...
Language: en |