Parents Bereaved by Offspring Suicide

Abstract

Bereavement is the recent loss of a significant person through death.¹ While almost everyone encounters bereavement at some point in their life, it is recognized as a time of intense suffering and a period of vulnerability for the development of mental and physical health problems, along with an increased mortality risk.² Suicide is a leading cause of death worldwide³ and is estimated on average to result in 6 bereaved individuals, often termed suicide survivors.⁴ The importance of suicide bereavement has been emphasized by the International Association for Suicide Prevention, which has established a task force on suicide bereavement and together with the World Health Organization has published guidelines for establishing suicide survivor support groups.⁵ Considering there are more than 1 million suicide deaths annually worldwide, this presents a considerable population of suicide bereaved. The consequences experienced by these individuals have been reported to be different, and possibly more severe, than those bereaved by other causes of death because of shame, stigmatization, and other factors accompanying suicide.^6-14 Compared with other causes of death, suicide survivors consistently experience higher levels of rejection and blame.^8,15-19 Given the prevalence of suicide bereavement and the recognized burden of morbidity associated with other types of bereavement, there is a need for an understanding of the consequences unique to suicide bereavement.