Suicide-Bereaved Siblings' Perception of Health Services

Pettersén, Rossana; Omérov, Pernilla; Steineck, Gunnar; Dyregrov, Atle; Titelman, David; Dyregrov, Kari; Nyberg, Ullakarin

doi:10.1080/07481187.2014.946624

Cited by 18 publications

(26 citation statements)

References 25 publications

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“… 16 17 In the aftermath of suicide, feelings of depression, anxiety, guilt, extreme sadness, anger and nightmares are often present and are associated with help-seeking in people bereaved by suicide. 18 19 These acute effects can be long-lasting: the time point rated as the worst stage after a death is the first week for about one-quarter of suicide-bereaved individuals but many family members struggle with the loss for the first year and, in one-fifth of cases, up to and beyond 3 years. 17 Both formal professional support and informal support from friends, families and others are important during this time and address different needs 20–22 and may be especially important for first-degree relatives.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

What are the physical and psychological health effects of suicide bereavement on family members? An observational and interview mixed-methods study in Ireland

et al. 2018

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ObjectivesResearch focussing on the impact of suicide bereavement on family members’ physical and psychological health is scarce. The aim of this study was to examine how family members have been physically and psychologically affected following suicide bereavement. A secondary objective of the study was to describe the needs of family members bereaved by suicide.DesignA mixed-methods study was conducted, using qualitative semistructured interviews and additional quantitative self-report measures of depression, anxiety and stress (DASS-21).SettingConsecutive suicide cases and next-of-kin were identified by examining coroner’s records in Cork City and County, Ireland from October 2014 to May 2016.ParticipantsEighteen family members bereaved by suicide took part in a qualitative interview. They were recruited from the Suicide Support and Information System: A Case-Control Study (SSIS-ACE), where family members bereaved by suicide (n=33) completed structured measures of their well-being.ResultsQualitative findings indicated three superordinate themes in relation to experiences following suicide bereavement: (1) co-occurrence of grief and health reactions; (2) disparity in supports after suicide and (3) reconstructing life after deceased’s suicide. Initial feelings of guilt, blame, shame and anger often manifested in enduring physical, psychological and psychosomatic difficulties. Support needs were diverse and were often related to the availability or absence of informal support by family or friends. Quantitative results indicated that the proportion of respondents above the DASS-21 cut-offs respectively were 24% for depression, 18% for anxiety and 27% for stress.ConclusionsHealthcare professionals’ awareness of the adverse physical and psychosomatic health difficulties experienced by family members bereaved by suicide is essential. Proactively facilitating support for this group could help to reduce the negative health sequelae. The effects of suicide bereavement are wide-ranging, including high levels of stress, depression, anxiety and physical health difficulties.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

What are the physical and psychological health effects of suicide bereavement on family members? An observational and interview mixed-methods study in Ireland

et al. 2018

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“…Numerous researchers have referred to siblings as the "forgotten bereaved" in grief studies (Bolton et al, 2016;Dyregrov & Dyregrov, 2005;Fletcher et al, 2015;Haugen et al, 2016;Pettersen et al, 2013;Powell & Matthys, 2013;Rakic, 1992;Rappaport, 1994;Rostila et al, 2013;Rostila et al, 2017;Todd, 1980;White, 2012). Recorded sibling suicide research dates back only four decades, and just nine pieces of research have been dedicated exclusively to the sibling experience of suicide bereavement.…”

Section: Findings Even Silence Has a Soundmentioning

confidence: 99%

Forgotten but not gone: A heuristic literature review of sibling suicide bereavement

Royden

2021

ANZSWJ

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INTRODUCTION: It is often said that Aotearoa New Zealand suffers from a “culture of silence” around suicide. The sibling experience, it seems, forms a silence within that silence. Suicide- bereaved siblings face what has been termed a “double loss.” Their sibling is gone, and sois their family as they knew it. Typically, they mourn both losses in isolation, the “forgotten bereaved.” Although Aotearoa New Zealand’s suicide rates are amongst the highest inthe developed world, there are currently no academic papers dedicated exclusively to the sibling experience of suicide loss. This has serious implications, as suicide-bereaved siblings experience significantly higher rates of mental illness compared to control groups even when pre-existing psychopathology, health problems, and social disadvantages are taken into consideration. In addition, their own risk of suicide has been found to double.METHOD: This heuristic literature review aims to clarify and summarise what research focused on the sibling experience of suicide bereavement has highlighted so far, drawing on the author’s lived experience to examine key themes of guilt, “unacceptable” anger, social stigmatisation, self-judgement, isolation, and the shattering of relational trust.FINDINGS AND IMPLICATIONS: Siblings cannot be expected to “seek” help, it needs to be offered—strongly and repeatedly. With this in mind, potential implications for mental health practice with suicide-bereaved siblings will be discussed, as well as broader social initiatives and areas in need of future research.

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“…Finally, SBS often have difficulty seeking help because of depression or lack of energy. They may also have lost confidence in the health and social services systems that failed their loved one or because they feel shame over what happened [ 7 , 9 , 12 , 22 – 24 ]. SBS have also underlined in some studies that there was a lack of information about where to find resources and that resources were not always available [ 13 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Being pro-active in meeting the needs of suicide-bereaved survivors: results from a systematic audit in Montréal

et al. 2020

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Background Suicide is a major public health concern. In 2017, the suicide rate in Canada was 11 per 100,000 inhabitants. According to literature, 1 in 5 people have experienced a death by suicide during their lifetime. The aim of this study was to describe the met and unmet needs of suicide-bereaved survivors and to provide postvention recommendations. Methods Further to an exploratory mixed-method 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 discuss and assess potential pathological grief, depression (PHQ-9), and anxiety (GAD-7), as well as health and social services utilization. A panel then reviewed each case and provided recommendations. The mean age of participants was 57.7 years and 23 were women. Results 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 2 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 Quebec provincial services have been developed and offered to 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 suicide pre/postvention strategy.

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Suicide-Bereaved Siblings' Perception of Health Services

Cited by 18 publications

References 25 publications

What are the physical and psychological health effects of suicide bereavement on family members? An observational and interview mixed-methods study in Ireland

What are the physical and psychological health effects of suicide bereavement on family members? An observational and interview mixed-methods study in Ireland

Forgotten but not gone: A heuristic literature review of sibling suicide bereavement

Being pro-active in meeting the needs of suicide-bereaved survivors: results from a systematic audit in Montréal

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