Being Pro-Active in Meeting the Needs of Suicide-Bereaved Survivors: results from a systematic audit in Montreal

Abstract

Background Suicide is a major public health concern that affects some 3,500 individuals a year in Canada. According to the literature, each suicide affects an average of six people. The aim of this study was to describe the met and unmet needs of suicide-bereaved survivors and to formulate postvention recommendations. Methods In the context of an exploratory mixed-methods audit of 39 suicides that occurred in Montreal (Canada) in 2016, suicide-bereaved survivors ( n = 29) participated in semi-structured interviews and completed instruments to assess pathological grief, depression (PHQ-9), and anxiety (GAD-7). Results Mean age of participants was 57.7 years; 23 were women. Although help was offered initially, in most cases by a health professional or service provider (16/29), 22 survivors would have liked to be contacted by telephone in the first two months post suicide. Four categories of individual unmet needs (medical/pharmacological, information, support, and outreach) and one collective unmet need (suicide pre/postvention training and delivery) emerged. Conclusions Although there have been provincial initiatives in favor of suicide-bereaved survivors in the past decade, many dwindled over time and none has been applied systematically. Recommendations for different stakeholders (Ministry of Health and Social Services, coroners, NGOs, and representatives of suicide-bereaved survivors) outlined in this study could be an interesting first step to help develop a provincial suicide pre/postvention strategy.