TY  - JOUR
PY  - 2022//
TI  - Suicide bereavement in the UK: descriptive findings from a national survey
JO  - Suicide and life-threatening behavior
A1  - McDonnell, Sharon
A1  - Flynn, Sandra
A1  - Shaw, Jenny
A1  - Smith, Shirley
A1  - McGale, Barry
A1  - Hunt, Isabelle M.
SP  - ePub
EP  - ePub
VL  - ePub
IS  - ePub
N2  - BACKGROUND: Those bereaved by suicide are a high-risk group of adverse health outcomes and suicidal behavior, yet little is known about the experiences and support needs of these individuals in the UK. <br><br>METHODS: We conducted a national cross-sectional study using an online survey and analyzed the experiences of 7158 participants who had been bereaved or affected by suicide. <br><br>RESULTS: 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. Mental and physical health problems linked to the suicide were reported in half. Adverse social outcomes and engaging in high-risk behaviors following the suicide were common. Over a third reported suicidal ideation and 8% had attempted suicide as a direct result of the suicide loss. Most had not accessed support services, with the majority viewing provision of local suicide bereavement support as inadequate. <br><br>CONCLUSIONS: Our results highlight the need for a multi-disciplinary approach in postvention and the provision of proactive outreach to support those bereaved by suicide. Postvention efforts need to acknowledge the death of a friend by suicide as a significant loss.<p />  <p>Language: en</p>
LA  - en
SN  - 0363-0234
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/sltb.12874
ID  - ref1
ER  -