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Is Suicide Bereavement Different? A Reassessment of the Literature
Author(s) -
Jordan John R.
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
suicide and life‐threatening behavior
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.544
H-Index - 90
eISSN - 1943-278X
pISSN - 0363-0234
DOI - 10.1521/suli.31.1.91.21310
Subject(s) - grief , psychological intervention , suicide prevention , poison control , psychology , homogeneous , thematic analysis , human factors and ergonomics , injury prevention , social support , psychotherapist , occupational safety and health , clinical psychology , medicine , psychiatry , medical emergency , qualitative research , sociology , social science , physics , thermodynamics , pathology
The question of whether suicide bereavement is different from mourning after other types of deaths has important theoretical and clinical implications. Some recent literature reviews have argued that the differences may be minimal. In contrast, this article suggests that suicide bereavement is distinct in three significant ways: the thematic content of the grief, the social processes surrounding the survivor, and the impact suicide has on family systems. In addition, problems in the methodology used to compare different bereavement experiences are addressed. Some clinical implications of these conclusions, including the need for homogeneous support groups, psychoeducational services, and family and social network interventions are also discussed.