Suicidal Death: Social Reactions to Bereaved Survivors

The present investigation examined the reactions of persons to specific individuals who have actually experienced suicidal bereavement. Persons who knew another who had experienced bereavement following a suicidal death were interviewed and their responses were compared with those of persons who knew others bereaved as a result of accident and as a result of natural causes. The impact of the cause of death suggests that suicide is perceived as a more difficult type of death with which to cope; interactions wit survivors of suicidal death are seen as somewhat more stressful. The cause of death may have less of an impact on reactions to the bereaved than research has suggested when the focus is on responses of persons who actually know the survivors.