Suicide and bereavement

It is estimated that one person in the world kills themselves every 40 seconds. For every person who commits suicide it has been estimated that six people will feel intense grief - around 35,000 people in the U.K. each year. Although the effects of such a bereavement are not necessarily more severe than bereavement following other causes of death there are certain aspects, such as stigmatisation and a sense of rejection that may make coping particularly difficult. Researchers from the University of York looked into studies on the effectiveness of interventions for people bereaved by suicide. They found evidence of some benefit from: a cognitive-behavioural family intervention of four sessions with a psychiatric nurse; a psychologist-led 10-week bereavement group intervention for children; and an 8-week group therapy intervention for adults delivered by a mental-health professional and a volunteer. Studies which compared more than one different type of intervention had produced unclear results.

McDaid, Catriona ... [et al] - Interventions for people bereaved through suicide: systematic review British Journal of Psychiatry 193(6), 438-443