Grief After Suicide: A Health Perspective on Needs, Effective Help, and Personal Growth

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Editorial

17 November 2020

Editorial: Grief After Suicide: A Health Perspective on Needs, Effective Help, and Personal Growth

Karl Andriessen

,

Karolina Krysinska

and

Dolores Angela Castelli Dransart

5,440 views

2 citations

Editors

3

Karl Andriessen

The University of Melbourne

Dolores Angela Castelli Dransart

HES-SO University of Applied Sciences and Arts Western Switzerland, School of Social Work

Karolina Krysinska

The University of Melbourne

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About

Experiencing the suicide of a close and significant person often signifies a major disruptive stressor, exacerbating the risks of social, physical, and mental health problems, and suicidal behavior in the bereaved individuals. Like any grief, grief after suicide can include diverse psychological, physical, and behavioral responses, such as sadness, yearning, 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. They may struggle more with meaning-making and ‘why’-questions, and experience less social support.

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, and substance abuse. Suicide bereavement also represents a risk factor for complicated grief. 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.

This Research Topic aims 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. The Research Topic welcomes all types of research, including qualitative, quantitative, mixed-methods research, and systematic reviews. It aims to explore topics considering health needs and help-seeking of people bereaved by suicide, and various models of service delivery, such as peer support, psychosocial, community-based or online interventions.
The collection welcomes contributions on novel topics, such as, but not limited to, continuing bonds, personal growth, and age-, gender-, culture-, and occupational related issues in suicide bereavement.

Experiencing the suicide of a close and significant person often signifies a major disruptive stressor, exacerbating the risks of social, physical, and mental health problems, and suicidal behavior in the bereaved individuals. Like any grief, grief after suicide can include diverse psychological, physical, and behavioral responses, such as sadness, yearning, 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. They may struggle more with meaning-making and ‘why’-questions, and experience less social support.

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, and substance abuse. Suicide bereavement also represents a risk factor for complicated grief. 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.

This Research Topic aims 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. The Research Topic welcomes all types of research, including qualitative, quantitative, mixed-methods research, and systematic reviews. It aims to explore topics considering health needs and help-seeking of people bereaved by suicide, and various models of service delivery, such as peer support, psychosocial, community-based or online interventions.
The collection welcomes contributions on novel topics, such as, but not limited to, continuing bonds, personal growth, and age-, gender-, culture-, and occupational related issues in suicide bereavement.

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Editors

Karl Andriessen

The University of Melbourne

Dolores Angela Castelli Dransart

HES-SO University of Applied Sciences and Arts Western Switzerland, School of Social Work

Karolina Krysinska

The University of Melbourne

Impact

220,665 Total views

181,342 Article views

34,151 Article downloads

5,172 Topic views

Published In

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Frontiers in Psychology

Health Psychology, Psychopathology

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Frontiers in Psychiatry

Psychopathology

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