School of Public Health, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland.
National Suicide Research Foundation, Cork, Ireland.
Death Stud. 2024 Feb;48(2):176-186. doi: 10.1080/07481187.2023.2201922. Epub 2023 Apr 24.
Suicide can have a significant impact on the bereaved. Peer support groups for suicide bereavement have been shown to enhance the wellbeing of those attending. However, research is lacking on the mechanisms that underlie these benefits. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 12 adults attending peer-facilitated support groups in Ireland and thematic analysis was used. The findings highlighted the enduring emotional impact including guilt and questioning, loss of identity, as well as wider impacts. Mechanisms of the groups included the opportunity to share experiences and feel validated, connection and belongingness and collective processing of grief. Groups were found to have a unique role alongside other informal and formal supports. This study highlights the important role of peer support groups in lessening this burden and adds to the literature through identifying potential mechanisms by which peer support groups contribute to improved wellbeing for the suicide-bereaved and practical steps to facilitate these mechanisms.
自杀会对遗属造成重大影响。有研究表明，同伴支持小组对参加者的幸福感有积极作用。但是，目前对于这些益处的潜在机制的研究还很缺乏。本研究对 12 名在爱尔兰参加同伴主导支持小组的成年人进行了半结构化访谈，并采用了主题分析方法。研究结果强调了持续的情感影响，包括内疚和质疑、丧失身份认同，以及更广泛的影响。小组的机制包括分享经验和被认可的机会、联系感和归属感以及集体处理悲伤。研究发现，小组除了其他非正式和正式支持外，还具有独特的作用。本研究强调了同伴支持小组在减轻这种负担方面的重要作用，并通过确定同伴支持小组有助于改善自杀遗属幸福感的潜在机制以及促进这些机制的实际步骤，为文献做出了贡献。
