Citation

Kawano K. Seishin Shinkeigaku Zasshi 2011; 113(1): 87-93.

Affiliation

Center for Suicide Prevention, National Institute of Mental Health, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2011, Nihon Seishin Shinkei Gakkai)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

21404637

Abstract

This paper aims to describe the care for persons bereaved by suicide from the perspective of mental health. Those bereaved by suicide experience three types of difficulties. The first encompasses difficulties in daily life, including death notifications, dealing with the funeral, cancellation of bank accounts, legal issues such as disagreements related to inheritance, and so on. The second type involves difficulties with health. Bereaved persons will sometimes experience psychological responses, such as feelings of sadness, guilt, anger, fear, embarrassment; these may be accompanied by somatic complaints. These are normal responses related to the grief process, but responses may be escalated as complicated grief in unusual circumstances, such as when people are bereaved by suicide. The third type comprises interpersonal difficulties, including lack of seeking social support, withdrawing, and secondary wounding experiences. While these difficulties often occur separately, they may also affect each other. For example, problems in daily life decrease a person's quality of life, and rob the bereaved of time to do their mourning work, while interpersonal problems may discourage them from seeking help from others around them. In this study, 111 persons bereaved by suicide were recruited from self-help/support groups. Of these, 48% showed a symptom of mental health problems, as measured by K6, and the relationship between the symptom of mental health issues and secondary wounding experiences of family members, relatives, friends, and other people bereaved by suicide was confirmed by ANOVA. Many persons bereaved by suicide may use existing supports and appear "resilient" after their shocking experiences, but they should be carefully observed, and, if necessary, should be offered specialized help, including psychological and/or psychiatric support.

Language: ja