The Los Angeles Survivors’ After-Suicide Program (IN: The Psychology of Suicide: a Clinician’s Guide to Evaluation and Treatment, edited by E S Shneidman, N L Farberow & R E Litman)

This chapter reports on a study of the Survivors’ After-Suicide Program held at the Los Angeles Suicide Prevention Centre. 60 program participants were compared to 22 controls. Comparison of the ratings of levels of feelings for the 2 groups within the first 4 weeks after death indicated no significant differences between the groups. Feelings of shame & guilt had almost completely subsided at follow-up 2 years later; others like depression & anger seemed to be relatively persistent.