Groups for the dead

Abstract

This article2 describes a group for those bereaved following the death through suicide of a doctor. It describes why it was formed, how it links to Foulkes’ matrix and, the conscious and unconscious processes which take place. This was the first gathering of a group of this kind in the United Kingdom.

Domestic abuse among female doctors: thematic analysis of qualitative interviews in the UK

“…31 Evidence shows that doctors experience unique barriers to accessing mental health services. 26,29 Our findings suggest that barriers to doctors seeking support for DA include stigma and being treated as a doctor rather than a patient, in addition to the barriers faced by other people experiencing DA. Festinger's 'social comparison theory' suggests that people determine their self-worth by comparing themselves to others 32 and helps to explain why victim-survivors of DA experienced a loss of identity as a doctor.…”

“…Using constant comparison 16 , transcripts were compared within and between each other, aiding the iterative search for themes which were then reviewed, defined and named. As well as using this inductive and iterative approach, the analysis was rooted in a theoretical framework derived from the literature on the female experience of DA 2,3,[17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24] , DA among females from higher socioeconomic groups 25 and literature regarding necessity of specialised services for doctors with mental health problems [26][27][28][29] . Disconfirming cases were sought to further develop the analysis.…”

Commentary on ‘Groups for the dead’ by Clare Gerada and Frances Griffiths

“…Less well known are the underlying dynamics of the phenomenon and how best to address the problem therapeutically. Dr Clare Gerada and Ms Frances Griffiths (Gerarda and Griffiths, 2020) have written movingly about their experience of a group for the relatives, friends and colleagues of doctors whose deaths had occurred either through suicide or as the result of an accident.…”

The dead are alive in the group and community—a response

“…First of all, I want to praise the two authors of this article on Groups for the dead (Gerada and Griffiths, 2020). They worked with the bereaved relatives of doctors who had committed suicide.…”