National research shows the needs for suicide bereavement support
/Suicide bereavement in the UK: Descriptive findings from a national survey is an important piece of research that has recently been published, based on surveys carried out between July 2017 and August 2018.
“The survey attracted interest from nearly 10,000 people who considered themselves to be bereaved or affected by suicide,” says our Chairman, John Brown. “Of those, 7,158 responded to an extensive online questionnaire about their connections and relationships, the impact of bereavement by suicide, their needs and the support they received.
There are some really useful insights from this as well as a huge reassurance that what we are offering across Cumbria, with lots of partner organisations, is at least part of what’s needed.”
Key findings from the research that are relevant to Suicide Bereavement Support (SBS) Cumbria are:
· Suicide had a major impact on 77% of participants, including those who had lost a friend and those exposed to suicide at a professional level.
“In some cases, those in the health or social care or protective emergency services might have been affected by up to 70 suicides, each one affecting that person as well as a cumulative effect,” says John. “This finding also fits with our experiences in Cumbria that friends as well as family members and professionals can feel a huge impact when bereaved by suicide and may need our support.”
“Friends, in our experience, often feel that the support that’s available is for the family and not for them. We need to dispel this myth. The platforms we provide where people can work together to find a way forward are available for ANYONE touched by suicide.”
Survey graphic
· Mental and physical health problems linked to the suicide were reported by half of respondents.
“That’s why we need to look after each other and look out for early signals of problems. The research found that health problems could be varied and numerous”
· Adverse social outcomes and engaging in high-risk behaviours following the suicide were common.
“These ranged from drug use to gambling, as well as marked effects on other relationships and employment. Early postvention (ie intervention after a bereavement by suicide) and connections with others who understand and will listen can make a big difference.”
· Over a third reported suicidal ideation and 8% had attempted suicide as a direct result of the suicide loss.
“This is why we tread a careful line between being a self-help group to support those who are grieving and keeping involved with partners in broader suicide prevention initiatives and services across Cumbria. Some of the more simplistic approaches to suicide prevention can be quite hurtful to our members but the research shows that we need to be aware of the risks to our member community and to be ready to support them through the toughest of times.”
· Most had not accessed support services, with the majority viewing provision of local suicide bereavement support as inadequate.
“And, as expected, many of those involved in the surveys were not aware of what support was available in their area,” says John. “This is why it is so important that we do all we can to raise awareness of what we do with health and care services, with the emergency services and with employers, charities and individuals across Cumbria.”
You can read the full research article online through open access at the Suicide Bereavement UK website https://suicidebereavementuk.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/GTH-2nd-paper-descriptive-stats-2022.pdf
Or the full research citation is McDonnell, S., Flynn, S., Shaw, J., Smith, S., McGale, B., & Hunt, I. M. (2022). Suicide bereavement in the UK: Descriptive findings from a national survey. Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior, 00, 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1111/sltb.12874
