Survivors of Suicide: The Brave Reborn from the Catastrophe

Mu-Yun Lee ； Ming-Been Lee

《Journal of Suicidology》 Vol.17 No.2 (2022/06) Pp. 113-118

https://doi.org/10.30126/JoS.202206_17(2).0003

摘要

Suicide is a major health concern worldwide. In Taiwan, more than 3,500 people die by suicide every year, and about 200,000 people may become survivors of suicide (SoS). The article aimed to review the significance and issues related to the bereavement of the SoS to celebrate the birth of the Taiwan Association for Caring for Survivors of Suicide (TACSoS) on June 11, 2022. The authors reviewed only major literature and added personal perspectives on the current situations for the SoS in Taiwan. The grief of the SoS is only a feature, not good or bad. Common features of grief include: shock, confusion, blame (anger & guilt), long-term feelings of sadness, meaninglessness, and silence. The tasks of grief involved a process with the following steps: expressing grief, accepting confusion, understanding suicide, connecting memories, creating meaning, and finally blessing the deceased. Suicide bereavement is common but highly distressing. In particular, unresolved grief is frequently associated with mental health problems such as complicated grief, acute and posttraumatic stress disorders, prolonged grief disorder, anxiety, and depression-related disorders. The prevalence of complicated grief and suicidal ideation is particularly high. However, people bereaved by suicide display a low level of help-seeking in the aftermath of the loss. The lack of accessibility and reliability of face-to-face counseling resources is a concern for SoS. Online resources can possibly be helpful for people bereaved by suicide. Suicide postvention and anti-stigma campaigns should be public health priorities. How to provide effective in-person or online resources is an urgent need to enhance early access to help and support for the SoS according to their needs and expectation. It is expected that the TACSoS will help promote the mental health and wellbeing of SoS in Taiwan.

關鍵字

survivors of suicide (SoS) ； grief reaction ； grief task ； suicide prevention