Suicide Bereavement Support Programs: A Scoping Review.

Abstract

BackgroundGrief following a loved one's suicide is especially painful. While the search for an explanation, a tendency to visualize the scene of the death, and impacts on personal relationships can compound grief, feelings of shame, guilt, shock, and bewilderment can deter the bereaved from seeking help. Nevertheless, postvention programs are rarely proactive.AimFrom the scientific literature, the aim of this scoping review was to identify the characteristics of existing postvention programs.MethodFollowing PRISMA-SCR 2020 guidelines, 40 articles were included in the review.ResultsThe articles included described 30 supports programs. Results confirmed the paucity of bereavement support programs that conform to research-based recommendations, according to which support should be proactive, early, flexible and collaborative.ConclusionThese findings highlight the need for further studies of bereavement support programs.