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Adapting to a Suicide:

What suicide survivors need and what can be provided

William G. Kirk, Ph.D.

Department of Psychology- Eastern Illinois University

1811 Meadowlake, Charleston, IL 61920

Surviving suicide is always considered complicated. A number of factors need to be considered when addressing the needs of survivors. The nature of the relationship with the survivor, the degree of anticipation of the event, the timing of the act, the potential for prevention and the violence of the death all influence the perception of the death as well as the immediate and long term adjustment of the survivors. From the perspective of traumatic-loss other issues can and do include heightened and possibly extreme reactions related to the loss of control, confusion, guilt, anger, utter bewilderment and shock.

The crisis intervener needs to consider such issues and reactions of both INDIVIDUAL and SYSTEMIC AND CULTURAL RESPONSES.

CRITICAL DETERMINANTS

RELATIONSHIP ISSUES:

• •The nature of the relationship to the deceased, e.g. spouse, child, friend, fellow student, etc.



• •The tone of the relationship at the time of the suicide: conflicted, dependent, etc.

ANTICIPATION OF THE SUICIDE: degree of expectation

TIMING: time/season of the year, day/night; individual and family activities,

relational timing,

POTENTIAL PREVENTION: degree of the capacity and/or willingness to engage in effective prevention

METHOD OF DEATH and DISCOVERY: the means and method of death influence the perception of the suicide as does whether survivors discover the body. How and by whom the survivor is told of the death may influence the traumatic impact.

INDIVIDUAL PSYCHOLOGICAL RESPONSES: personality styles and/or disorders, degree and duration of heightened/extreme reactions, magnification and influence of reactions on others, etc.

CULTURAL AND SYSTEMIC REACTIONS: directed toward evaluation for intervention and assessment of contagion potential

• •knowledge and understanding of sub-cultural and cultural meaning and attitudes toward suicide.

• •Attitudes toward the deceased and the family prior to the death

• •status of individual within broader system and relationship of family in community, society, etc.

• •Impact on the familial and social systems (broad community, workplace, school system, etc.

• •Open versus closed system issues

PERSONAL NEEDS OF SURVIVORS:

• •Safety, care, concern

• •Therapeutic structure

• • network into loving caregivers (family, friends….)

• • introduction to a cognitive framework related to the death: information, reality-based insights,

• •unstructuring the structure

PERSUASIVE POTENCY OF INTERVENORS

• •Attitudes toward suicide

• •Personal experience with death/grief issues

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