‘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
