A loss by suicide: The relationship between meaning-making, post-traumatic growth, and complicated grief

Meaning making has been found useful in processing grief, yet individuals who have experienced a loss by suicide may have difficulty with post-loss adjustment due to the traumatic nature of their loss. Through quantitative study, this article acts as an initial exploratory study and examines the relationship between meaning-making, post-traumatic growth, and complicated grief symptoms […]

Coping strategies and considering the possibility of death in those bereaved by sudden, and violent deaths: Grief severity, depression, and posttraumatic growth

Background: Bereavement by sudden and violent deaths can lead to increased grief severity, depression, and reduced posttraumatic growth compared to those bereaved by natural causes. These outcomes can be affected by coping strategies and whether a survivor had been “prepared” for the death. The present study examined the effect of coping and considering the possibility of […]

Longitudinal intercorrelations between complicated grief and posttraumatic growth among suicide survivors

Background Suicide survivors are prone to elevated risk for several psychiatric and somatic complications, including complicated grief (CG) and depression. Recent studies have highlighted the possibility of posttraumatic growth (PTG) among suicide survivors. However, to date, no longitudinal study has focused on the relationships between CG and PTG among suicide survivors. Aims In this 18-month […]

Examining the protective function of perceptions of post-traumatic growth against entrapment and suicidal ideation

Background: Recent evidence has found that reporting post-traumatic growth (PTG) from a past stressful life event is associated with lower reports of suicidal ideation. Perceptions of PTG measure the extent to which an  individual reports positive changes in their identity, relationships, and worldviews after a stressful event. However, little is known about how perceptions of […]

Emerging despite the indelible wound: A grounded theory of family transformation following adolescent suicide

Family members of a person who has died by suicide are at an increased risk of experiencing depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, suicide ideation, and suicide. However, despite the experience of losing a family member to suicide, most families continue to function and even live well following this difficult experience. This study sought to understand and […]

Predictors of posttraumatic growth in adults bereaved by suicide

Background: Although suicide loss has been associated with several negative outcomes, numerous studies have shown that loss survivors can experience posttraumatic growth (PTG) following the suicide loss of a significant other. However, few studies have explored the mechanisms of such growth. Aims: The aim of this study was to identify predictors of PTG among a […]

Attachment styles and posttraumatic growth among suicide-loss survivors: The mediating role of interpersonal factors

Background and aims: The world loses approximately one million people to suicide every year, leaving behind many suicide-loss survivors, family members and friends, who are significantly affected by the traumatic loss. Yet some suicide-loss survivors not only manage to cope with the loss, but actually experience posttraumatic growth (PTG). To date, no studies have fully […]

The protective effects of grit on suicidal ideation in individuals with trauma and symptoms of posttraumatic stress

Objective It is important to understand factors that moderate the likelihood of developing suicidal thoughts following traumatic exposure and posttraumatic stress symptoms. Method In this cross‐sectional study, a moderated atemporal mediation analysis was conducted in a sample of 709 college students (71% female, M age = 19.90 years, 67% Caucasian) to test the associations between trauma, posttraumatic stress disorder […]

Fruits of trauma? Posttraumatic growth among suicide-bereaved parents.

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An Interpretive phenomenological analysis of posttraumatic growth in adults bereaved by suicide.

This study explored experiences of posttraumatic growth in adults bereaved by suicide. Six participants were interviewed using a semi-structured interview schedule. Transcribed interviews were analyzed from an interpretative phenomenological framework. Two superordinate themes, with three ordinate themes in each, were identified: (a) positive growth (Òlife view,Ó Òknowledge of self,Ó and Òrelation to othersÓ) and (b) […]

Meaning-making through psychological autopsy interviews: the value of participating in qualitative research for those bereaved by suicide.

Too often ethical boards delay or stop research projects with vulnerable populations, influenced by presumed rather than empirically documented vulnerability. The article investigates how participation is experienced by those bereaved by suicide. Experiences are divided into 3 groups: (a) overall positive (62%), (b) unproblematic (10%), and (c) positive and painful (28%). The positive experiences are […]

An interpretative phenomenological analysis of posttraumatic growth in adults bereaved by suicide.

This study explored experiences of posttraumatic growth in adults bereaved by suicide. Six participants were interviewed using a semi-structured interview schedule. Transcribed interviews were analyzed from an interpretative phenomenological framework. Two superordinate themes, with three ordinate themes in each, were identified: (a) positive growth (Òlife view,Ó Òknowledge of self,Ó and Òrelation to othersÓ) and (b) […]

Posttraumatic growth among parent survivors of suicide.

Posttraumatic Growth Among Parent Survivors of SuicideDespite the burden of suicide in the United States and anecdotal clinical opinion that this cause of death creates a unique form of grief among those left behind, there is a dearth of research on those who are bereaved by suicide. There is some limited evidence that “suicide survivors” […]