Making Sense of the Unique Pain of Survivors: A Psychoeducational Approach for Suicide Bereavement

Abstract

Grief, guilt, abandonment, anger, shame, and rejection are the most common feelings experienced by suicide survivors, who differ from other bereaved individuals for the intensity of these feelings. Moreover, suicide risk and psychiatric disorders associated with suicidality are more frequent in people who have lost a loved person by suicide. Given the complexity and the consequences linked to the suicide of a loved person, it is necessary to act promptly. Among the various strategies, psychoeducation has proved effective for several mental disorders and for suicide bereavement. It is a therapeutic intervention aimed at identifying and understanding the psychological features associated with the mental pain of suicide survivors, to facilitate the management of the illness and the recognition of relationships in the social environment. We developed a psychoeducational group that took place at the Suicide Prevention Center of the Sant’Andrea Hospital in Rome. It was a homogeneous, finite-group composed of 8–12 suicide survivors and conducted by two trained psychologists supervised weekly by the Director of the Suicide Prevention Center. The intervention comprised 21 weekly sessions of 90 min. Each session concerned a determined topic and began with the presentation of the issue, continued with specific exercises, and finished with a group discussion. The main goals of the group were to provide support, normalize the reactions of the survivors, and assist them in reducing their emotional suffering and their thoughts about suicide, investigate the potential presence of suicide risk, implement prevention strategies, and integrate the loss of the loved person. The psychoeducational approach we delivered for suicide survivors allows individuals to interact with other individuals in the same situation in order to help them resume the normal course of life, placing the suicide of a loved person in a broader perspective.

Creation and validation of a high-fidelity simulation scenario for suicide postvention

“…Characteristics commonly described in the scientific literature on bereavement due to suicide experiences, such as guilt, stigmatization, rejection, shame, anger, less self-care and higher suicide risk, were some of the aspects addressed in the scenario 6 - 7 . The role of health professionals in the support provided is highlighted in this proposal, as postvention approaches are rarely portrayed in the scientific literature, which reinforces the stigma towards the theme and the difficulties approaching suicide 38 .…”

“…More than 130 people are directly or indirectly affected by a single death due to suicide 2 . Suicide bereaved people can experience different feelings, sensations, reactions and psychological and physical changes during grief, which can present different aspects of experiences from other types of bereavement 6 - 7 .…”

Perceived Suicide Stigma and Associated Factors in Chinese College Students: Translation and Validation of the Stigma of Suicide Attempt Scale and the Stigma of Suicide and Suicide Survivors Scale

“…High educational levels have been found to be associated with increased suicide literacy and lower suicide stigma in a few previous studies [ 20 , 29 , 37 ]. Psychoeducational programs on suicide prevention also reduced suicide stigma [ 12 , 76 , 77 ], indicating that the impact of majors on suicide stigma may be mediated by the knowledge levels of suicide, which warrants further investigation.…”

The longitudinal contribution of attachment models and interpersonal factors to posttraumatic growth among suicide‐loss survivors

“…These interventions would have particular value among those SLSs characterized by negative attachment views of self and who may have difficulty approaching others for help. Berardelli et al (2020) recently showed that a psychoeducational approach (conducted in 21 weekly group sessions) significantly assisted SLSs in reducing their emotional suffering and their suicide ideation. This approach also helped SLSs resume a normal life course, placing the suicide of a loved person in a broader perspective.…”