ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Public Health
Sec. Public Mental Health
This article is part of the Research TopicNavigating Emotions at Work: Behavioral Consequences of Positivity and NegativityView all 3 articles
HELPING THE HELPERS: MENTAL WELL-BEING OF THE FUNERAL PROFESSIONAL
Provisionally accepted
- 1Medical College of Wisconsin Comprehensive Injury Center, Milwaukee, United States
- 2Medical College of Wisconsin Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine, Milwaukee, United States
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Abstract Introduction: This study aimed to understand the mental health challenges experienced by funeral professionals, in particular exposure to suicide. Additionally, we sought to understand what training related to suicide, suicide loss, and supporting individuals is acceptable to individuals in the profession. Methods: We developed a semi-structured interview guide with open-ended questions allowing for probing and additional follow-up inquiry. The main questions focused on three topic areas: 1) professional experience, 2) risk and protective factors of profession, and 3) exposure to suicide. Results: Through semi-structured interviews, four themes emerged: help-seeking, exposure to traumatic losses, value and limitations of peer support, and recommendations related to policy, culture, and training. Discussion: The study highlights the unique experiences and needs of funeral professionals that are often overlooked within discussions of vicarious trauma for first responder professions.
Keywords: Suicide, Mental Health, funeral professionals, vicarious trauma, suicide risk
Received: 09 Oct 2025; Accepted: 25 Nov 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Monroe, Wu, Glassford, Fuss, MPH, Kant and Kohlbeck. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Patricia Monroe
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