Surviving families: experiences of losing a family member to suicide

Abstract

Objective: to identify the interactional processes that allow surviving families to cope with the death by suicide of one of their members, to restructure themselves as a unit and transform the experience into a learning experience. Method: a qualitative, exploratory study, guided by the concept of Family Resilience, in which eight families, who experienced the suicide of one of their members participated. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and the data were submitted to thematic analysis. Results: the results were organized into four thematic groups and revealed grief, despair, and perplexity of family members who could not understand the reasons for such a radical act; the feelings of pain due to the loss, overlapped with anger, relief and guilt. Blame was shared with other people and the social and health services; and the lessons that the experience provides. Conclusion: nurses and other healthcare professionals can help surviving families to restructure themselves after the suicide of one of their members, implementing care actions based on repeated assessments of the repercussions of suicide on the family as a whole and on its members individually; identifying the most compromised dimensions of family life; individual and family needs; and family resilience processes.