Talking through the Dead: The Impact and Interplay of Lived Grief after Suicide

In the aftermath of suicide, grief becomes a multi-faceted experience. Traditionally, this grief was silenced where the shame attached to suicide invalidated a person's need for expression. Even now, it can be difficult for people to fully articulate their grief, let alone find an empathetic audience. How do we examine this grief to more clearly hear the voices of the bereaved, and to better understand how to support those who are grieving a suicide death? Indeed, the ripple of suicide grief touches more than those traditionally considered to be impacted by the death. Whole communities can be affected and it cannot be presumed that researchers do not have their own lived experiences of suicide bereavement. In this way, the newly-opened discourse around the experience of suicide grief needs to be dissected within more practical and appropriate research. A balance needs to be created in research where the voices of grief can be included but the experiential context understood and respected

Life Will Never be The Same Again: Examining Grief in Survivors Bereaved by Young Suicide

This article explores existing assumptions about the nature of bereavement by suicide. Drawing on data from a U. K. study of student suicide, we hope to contribute to a fuller understanding of the uniqueness of bereavement by suicide and new pathways for grief research. In this article we argue that bereavement by suicide has a number of common themes and characteristics. Analyzed in accordance with Jordan's (2001) review, our data supports the idea that the thematic content of the grief associated with suicide bereavement is distinctive and guilt is a particularly important feature. We argue that no other type of death is likely to bestow this particular negative emotion on survivors in equivalent measure. Findings on the impact of social processes and family systems were mixed. Explanations to account for these data along with recommendations for intervention and research are discussed

Marital and Parental Satisfaction of Married Physicians with Children

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate personal and professional factors associated with marital and parental satisfaction of physicians. STUDY DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. PARTICIPANTS: A survey was sent to equal numbers of licensed male and female physicians in a Southern California county. Of 964 delivered questionnaires, 656 (68%) were returned completed. Our sample includes 415 currently married physicians with children, 64% male and 36% female. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Ratings of marital and parental satisfaction were measured on a 5-point Likert scale, 5 being extremely satisfied. Prevalence of work and home life factors was also evaluated. The mean score for marital satisfaction was 3.92 (range 1.75–5.0). Approximately half of the physicians reported high levels of marital satisfaction (63% of male physicians and 45% of female physicians). The gender difference disappeared after adjusting for age differences. Two factors were associated with high marital satisfaction: a supportive spouse (odds ratio [OR] 10.37; 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.66, 40.08) and role conflict (OR 0.61; 95% CI 0.42, 0.88). The mean score for parental satisfaction was 3.43 (range 1.0–5.0), and approximately two thirds of both male and female physicians reported at least moderate levels of parental satisfaction. The major factors associated with parental satisfaction were a supportive spouse (OR 2.24; 95% CI 1.32, 3.80), role conflict (OR 0.35; 95% CI 0.23, 0.53), salaried practice setting (OR 2.14; 95% CI 1.21, 3.81), marriage to a spouse working in a profession (OR 2.14; 95% CI 1.21, 3.81), and marriage to a spouse working as a homemaker (OR 2.33; 95% CI 1.20, 4.56). Number of hours worked was not found to be related to either satisfaction score, but rather to an intervening variable, role conflict. CONCLUSIONS: For physicians with children, our study indicates that minimizing the level of role conflict and having a supportive spouse are associated with higher levels of marital and parental satisfaction. Working in salaried positions and marriage to a spouse who is either working in a profession or who is a stay-at-home parent are also related to high parental satisfaction

Diet of the Eurasian otter ( Lutra lutra

Prey preference and seasonal variation in the diet of the Eurasian otter, Lutra lutra (Linnaeus, 1758), were examined by the analysis of 789 spraint samples collected along a 10-km section of a small lowland salmonid river in Serbia, with a trout farm situated in its lower part, from June 2009 to March 2012. Of particular interest was any possible impact of the otter on brown trout, which is important to investigate for preventing and managing any potential conflicts with fishers and fish farmers. Fish were by far the most important otter prey, followed by crayfish. Cottus gobio Linnaeus, 1758 (the European bullhead) was the most common prey species, probably because of the combination of its abundance and easy catchability. Other prey contributed very little to the diet of the otters. Of 11 fish species present in the river, five were found in the otter diet: the European bullhead, Salmo trutta Linnaeus, 1758 (brown trout), Squalius cephalus (Linnaeus, 1758) (chub), Barbus balcanicus Kotlik, Tsigenopoulos, Rab & Berrebi, 2002 (the Danube barbel), and Phoxinus phoxinus (Linnaeus, 1758) (the Eurasian minnow). The bullhead was the only positively selected species, however. The share of fish prey in the otter diet was stable throughout the year, except for a decrease noticed during the summer. The results suggest that otters on the River Gradac target smaller, sedentary, and less nutritious prey. Owing to a small percentage of brown trout in otter spraints, we surmise that otters do not represent a major biological or economic threat, either to the native trout population in the river or to the trout from the nearby fish farm. Although there are no reports of otters causing damage to the trout population in the local fish farm, it is advisable to establish mechanisms for the compensation of fish farmers in case such damage does occur. The data presented in this paper can be used to contribute to the conservation of the otter in stream habitats, especially because there are no published studies on the dietary requirements of otter in Serbia