A meta-ethnography of male suicide bereavement qualitative research

CONTENTS •Research programme context •Overview of meta-ethnography method and approach •A proposed model for suicide bereavement •Conclusions (interim

‘You just wear a mask’: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis study to explore the impacts of bereavement by suicide among peer support group members.

Suicide is widely acknowledged as a pervasive global public health issue. Support for those bereaved by suicide (postvention) is a neglected area of research. Suicide loss survivors (SLS) struggle with guilt, stigma, and a drive to comprehend. This study aimed to assess the ramifications of bereavement by suicide within a cohort of peer-support group members. Data were collected using in-depth face-to-face and online semi-structured interviews. Audio-recordings of the interviews were transcribed and analysed via Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. Eight people, recruited from a UK Peer Support Group, participated. Five Group Experiential Themes emerged: decohesion of life; ‘You just wear a mask’; perpetual psychological conflicts; persistent underlying frustration with ‘the system’; the beacon of peer support. Findings provide insights into the mindset of a cross-section of those bereaved by suicide and the all-encompassing, pervasive, life-shattering consequences of becoming a SLS. These include the duality of their inner torment and public persona, perpetual possession of conflicting thoughts and perspectives, and alienation. A unique level of comprehension as to the power of peer-support groups is also outlined. Implications for practice include the signposting of postvention services requiring enhancement and the vital role played by peer-support groups in assisting those impacted

A qualitative study to assess the impacts of bereavement by suicide

Suicide is widely acknowledged as a significant, and pervasive, global public health issue. This study aimed to assess how people felt impacted after the loss of a loved one to suicide, using a qualitative design. Data were collected using in-depth face-to-face and video semi-structured interviews. Audio-recordings of the interviews were transcribed and analysed via Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. Eight people, recruited from Survivors of Bereavement by Suicide (SoBS) members, participated in the study. Five super-ordinate themes emerged from the data namely: Pre-bereavement Issues, Consequences, Perceptions, Organisational Challenges and Support Network. Findings show that survivors’ lives are greatly affected and that they often feel that those they lost were let down by the healthcare system. Perceptions of losses vary by relationship and elapsed time. Further education and training are required for healthcare and legal professionals, plus the emergency services, to enhance understanding of the specific needs of those bereaved by suicide. There is a strong sense that society needs a much greater, and better, awareness of suicide, and its impacts, including the availability of bereavement assistance. Participants have been significantly assisted by participation in peer support groups but feel that the approach to postvention, and prevention, is highly fragmented and requires overhaul, with survivors having a much larger role