"A Gentle Push": Needs analysis of suicide-bereaved relatives and families

Abstract

Published studies report that anywhere from 6 to 100 individuals are bereaved by every suicide, and that those bereaved through suicide may have an increased risk of prolonged grief, self-harm and suicide. Of the Coronial reported deaths referred to the Newcastle Department of Forensic Medicine in 2010, 105 (9.9%) were classified as suicide. This paper will present research undertaken with this suicide-bereaved sample population, contextualised within the Coronial statistics for New South Wales. The primary aims of the research were to learn from this sample population about their unique needs following suicide bereavement, the support and services accessible and most useful to them in the twelve to eighteen months after the death, and to identify gaps to inform future service development and delivery. This paper will present findings and implications of this research, which extend well beyond the confines of a specific needs assessment and service evaluation to include persistent intense sadness and confusion, heightened concerns for other family members, and increasing difficulty in accessing services as time from death lengthened. The recommendations consider disparities related to gender, geography and relationship to the deceased, and highlight the need for "a gentle push" of proactive and sustained service provision.