Community Responses Following Suicide, Homicide, and Other Deaths: The Perspective of Potential Comforters

Abstract

To determine whether actual responses of potential comforters in the community differ according to cause of death, 83 college students participated in a structured, individual interview. They were asked demographic questions about themselves, the bereaved, and the deceased, and then about various aspects of how they, and others in the community, responded to the death. Students were grouped by their reports of the cause of death (suicide, homicide, accident, natural anticipated death, or natural unanticipated death). When the death was by suicide or homicide, others were perceived as relatively less supportive of the bereaved person. When the death was by suicide, respondents themselves tended more to blame the bereaved person. When the death was by homicide, the bereaved person was perceived as reacting relatively worse. Potential comforters were relatively more shocked when the death was by homicide or accident.

Social support following bereavement: The role of beliefs, expectations, and support intentions

“…Against predictions, neither the described level of social support nor anticipation of the death affected expectations of grief symptomatology or intentions to provide support. These findings refute previous conclusions that anticipated deaths are perceived to be quicker to resolve than unanticipated deaths (Costa et al, 2007;Kubitz et al, 1989) and may require less support (Villa, 2010) but confirms other research where participants have perceived that anticipated deaths might be equally challenging, dependent on the strength of the attachment bond (Range & Thompson 1987;Range et al, 1992;Thompson & Range, 1990). These findings are supported by empirical evidence that circumstances of the death have less impact on the manifestation of grief as time progresses (Feigelman, Jordan, & Gorman, 2009), and quantity of support does not always correspond to quality of support when it comes to informal bereavement care (Breen & O'Connor, 2011).…”

“…However, these studies focused on the event of bereavement and overlooked the subjective impact of bereavement. In terms of anticipation of death, although some study participants have rated anticipated deaths as being easier to resolve than unanticipated (Costa, Hall, & Stewart, 2007, Kubitz, Thornton, & Robertson, 1989, others have noted no difference in evaluations of the bereaved, prediction of bereavement outcomes, or supportive offerings (Range & Thompson, 1987, Range, Walston, & Pollard, 1992Thompson & Range, 1990). Finally, perceptions of social support has only been investigated in two studies, demonstrating perceptions of better coping and less need for support when the bereaved person appeared to have a reasonable level of support (Costa et al, 2007;Villa, 2010).…”

Attitudes towards those bereaved by a suicide: a population-based, cross-sectional study in rural Japan

“…Third, our study did not include other causes of death such as natural or accidental death. However, some studies have indicated that the social response to death by suicide differs from responses to other causes of death including natural death [ 12 , 13 ]. Therefore, we consider that our results sufficiently should reflect attitudes toward those bereaved by a suicide.…”

“…Two studies examined the responses of college students to acquaintances grieving a death by suicide [ 12 , 13 ]. According to one study, respondents experienced greater difficulty talking with and expressing sympathy for family members bereaved by suicide as compared to family members bereaved by a death that was accidental or from natural causes.…”

Opinions About and Reactions to Suicide, and the Social Acceptance of a Suicidal Classmate Among Turkish High School Students

“…Empirical evidence shows that in addition to internal grief survivors of a death by suicide experience more negative reactions from their social surrounding than survivors of other types of death (Calhoun et al, 1984;Calhoun et al 1986;Range & Thompson, 1987;Rudestam, 1977). It is generally acknowledged in the literature that coping with these negative reactions may constitute an extra stress for the persons bereaved by suicide.…”