Grief After Suicide Understanding the Consequences and Caring for the Survivors

here are over 38,000 suicide deaths each year in the United States alone, and the numbers in other countries suggest that suicide is a major public health problem around the world. A suicide leaves behind more victims than just the individual, as family, friends, co-workers, and the community can be impacted in many different and unique ways following a suicide. And yet there are very few professional resources that provide the necessary background, research, and tools to effectively work with the survivors of a suicide.

This edited volume addresses the need for an up-to-date, professionally-oriented summary of the clinical and research literature on the impact of suicide bereavement on survivors. It is geared towards mental health professionals, grief counselors, clergy, and others who work with survivors in a professional capacity. Topics covered include the impact of suicide on survivors, interventions to provide bereavement care for survivors, examples of promising support programs for survivors, and developing a research, clinical, and programmatic agenda for survivors over the next 5 years and beyond.

Cain, Foreword. Jordan, McIntosh, Introduction. Part I: The Impact of Suicide. Jordan, McIntosh, Suicide Bereavement: Why Study Survivors of Loss? Jordan, McIntosh, Is Suicide Bereavement Different? A Framework for Rethinking the Question. McIntosh, Jordan, The Impact of Suicide on Adults. Cerel, Aldrich, The Impact of Suicide on Children and Adolescents. Gutin, McGann, Jordan, The Impact of Suicide on Professional Caregivers. Part II: Helping Survivors. Jordan, Feigelman, McMenamy, Mitchell, Research on the Needs of Survivors. McGann, Gutin, Jordan, Guidelines for Postvention Care After the Suicide of a Client. Berkowitz, McCauley, Schuurman, Jordan, Organizational Postvention After Suicide Death. Jordan, Principles of Grief-counseling with Adult Survivors. Webb, Grief Counseling with Child and Adolescent Survivors of Parental Suicidal Deaths. Sands, Jordan, Neimeyer, The Meanings of Suicide: A Narrative Approach to Healing. Jordan, Group Work with Suicide Survivors. Kaslow, Samples, Rhodes, Gantt, A Family Oriented and Culturally Sensitive Postvention Approach with Suicide Survivors. Part III: Promising Programs of Support for Survivors. US Programs. Campbell, Baton Rouge Crisis Intervention Center's LOSS Team Active Postvention (APM) Approach. Marshall, Bolton, The Link Counseling Center and the Link's National Resource Center for Suicide Prevention and Aftercare. Hurtig, Bullitt, Kates, Samaritans Grief Support Services. Archibald, Heartbeat Survivors After Suicide, Inc. Koenig, Friends for Survival. Morris, Farberow, Hirsch, Community Mental Health Center's Survivors After Suicide Programs (SAS). Schwartz, The Retrospective Profile and the Facilitated Family Retreat. Beal, Parents of Suicides: E-mail Support Group. Rubey, Loving Outreach to Survivors of Suicide Program (LOSS): A Postvention Service for Survivors of Suicide. Mitchell, Wesner, A Bereavement Crisis Debriefing Intervention for Survivors After a Suicide. Harrington-Lamorie, Ruocco, The Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS). Linn-Gust, American Association of Suicidology and Survivors of Suicide Loss. Harpel, American Foundation for Suicide Prevention's Survivor Initiatives. International Programs. Chow, Yip, Grief After Suicide: A Hong Kong Chinese Perspective. Bycroft, Fisher, Beaton, International Perspectives on Suicide Bereavement: The Australian Example. Dyregrov, International Perspectives on Suicide Bereavement: Suicide Survivors and Postvention in Norway. Grad, International Perspectives on Suicide Bereavement: Slovenia. Agee, A New Zealand Perspective on Suicide Bereavement. Andriessen, Survivors After Suicide: A Comprehensive Suicide Survivor Program in Flanders, Belgium. Part IV: Conclusions. McIntosh, Jordan, Going Forward: A Research Agenda for Suicide Survivor Studies. Jordan, McIntosh, Bolton, Campbell, Harpel, Linn-Gust, A Call to Action: Building Clinical and Programmatic Support for Suicide Survivors.