Suicide bereavement and coping: a descriptive and interpretative analysis of the coping process

Gaffney, Megan; Hannigan, Barbara

doi:10.1016/j.sbspro.2010.07.137

Cited by 20 publications

(18 citation statements)

References 26 publications

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“…In accordance with previous studies using observations of face-to-face support groups, questionnaires, or interviews with the bereaved by suicide, we found more negative stated grief reactions than positive stated grief reactions (Clark & Coldney, 1995;Gaffney & Hannigan, 2010;Sveen & Walby, 2008). Although some participants frequently posted messages containing severe negative grief reactions for more than 6 months, we cannot draw any fi rm conclusions about their risk for complicated grief This document is copyrighted by the American Psychological Association or one of its allied publishers.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 92%

What Do the Bereaved by Suicide Communicate in Online Support Groups?

Schotanus-Dijkstra

Havinga

Ballegooijen

et al. 2014

Crisis

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 92%

What Do the Bereaved by Suicide Communicate in Online Support Groups?

Schotanus-Dijkstra

Havinga

Ballegooijen

et al. 2014

Crisis

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“…Qualitative studies of suicide-bereaved people outside the United Kingdom have not included comparisons with people bereaved by other causes. Our findings are comparable to those of three Irish qualitative studies with suicide-bereaved adults, which describe experiences of social isolation ( Gaffney and Hannigan, 2010 ), social awkwardness ( Begley and Quayle, 2007 ), and perceived prejudice ( Nic an Fhaili et al, 2016 ). This Irish work also made clear links between stigma and the recent decriminalisation of suicide ( Gaffney and Hannigan, 2010 ), and between stigma and reluctance to seek help ( Nic an Fhaili et al, 2016 ); dimensions not apparent in our dataset.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 84%

“…Our findings are comparable to those of three Irish qualitative studies with suicide-bereaved adults, which describe experiences of social isolation ( Gaffney and Hannigan, 2010 ), social awkwardness ( Begley and Quayle, 2007 ), and perceived prejudice ( Nic an Fhaili et al, 2016 ). This Irish work also made clear links between stigma and the recent decriminalisation of suicide ( Gaffney and Hannigan, 2010 ), and between stigma and reluctance to seek help ( Nic an Fhaili et al, 2016 ); dimensions not apparent in our dataset. Other international research on self-stigma and public stigma towards people bereaved by suicide is summarised in a recent systematic review, identifying 11 qualitative studies ( Hanschmidt et al, 2016 ).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 84%

The stigma associated with bereavement by suicide and other sudden deaths: A qualitative interview study

Pitman

Stevenson

Osborn

et al. 2018

Social Science & Medicine

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Quantitative studies have found that suicide bereavement is associated with suicide attempt, and is perceived as the most stigmatising of sudden losses. Their findings also suggest that perceived stigma may explain the excess suicidality. There is a need to understand the nature of this stigma and address suicide risk in this group. We aimed to describe and compare the nature of the experiences of stigma reported by people bereaved by suicide, sudden unnatural death, and sudden natural death, and identify any commonalities and unique experiences. We conducted a population-based cross-sectional survey of 659,572 staff and students at 37 British higher educational institutions in 2010, inviting those aged 18–40 who had experienced sudden bereavement of a close contact since the age of 10 to take part in an on-line survey and to volunteer for an interview to discuss their experiences. We used maximum variation sampling from 1398 volunteer interviewees to capture a range of experiences, and conducted individual face-to-face semi-structured interviews to explore perceptions of stigma and support. We continued sampling until no new themes were forthcoming, reaching saturation at n = 27 interviews (11 participants bereaved by suicide). We employed thematic analysis to identify any distinct dimensions of reported stigma, and any commonalities across the three groups. We identified two key themes: specific negative attitudes of others, and social awkwardness. Both themes were common to interviewees bereaved by suicide, sudden unnatural death, and sudden natural death. All interviewees reported the experience of stigmatising social awkwardness, but this may have been experienced more acutely by those bereaved by suicide due to self-stigma. This study provides evidence of a persistent death taboo in relation to sudden deaths. There is potential for anti-stigma interventions to reduce the isolation and social awkwardness perceived by people bereaved suddenly, particularly after suicide loss.

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“…While few articles report what survivors of suicide loss need (Dyregrov, 2002;Jordan & McMenamy, 2004;McMenamy et al, 2008), empirical studies focused on what they need or receive were extremely sparse (Jordan & McMenamy, 2004 Helpful survival strategies and postvention support are reported in this study and in articles often authored by psychologists or sociologists. For example, identified strategies addressed by other authors include coping (e.g., Trimble, Hannigan, & Gaffney, 2012), maintaining a routine, regulating emotions (e.g., Gaffney & Hannigan, 2010) and adaptive cognitive strategies (Levi-Belz, 2015). These strategies focus on grief; psychological, social, financial, medical issues (e.g., McMenamy et al, 2008); family support (Jordan & McMenamy, 2004); and connecting with service providers (e.g., McKinnon & Chonody, 2014).…”

Section: Conceptualmentioning

confidence: 99%