Investigating the Social Correlates Associated With Getting Help After a Suicide or Not: An Important Unexamined Bereavement Question

Abstract

Seeking to provide more systematic information on treatment-seeking and those not seeking help after a suicide, we investigated demographic, experiential and grief problems related correlates among recently suicide bereaved adults, conducting an on-line survey of a sample of U.S. 1,132 adults who lost a loved one to suicide during the last six years. Focusing upon first-degree relative loss survivors (n = 222) we hypothesized those not seeking help would be more likely to report conventional religiosity, greater social support and more use of alternative treatment modalities. Instead, we found those not seeking help were almost twice as likely to not attend religious services, compared to help seekers. Social support enhanced the bereaved individuals’ pursuit of treatments and those who did not obtain help appeared reluctant to getting non-traditional treatment support. Help seekers were more likely to experience post-traumatic growth and less likely to see suicide loss survivorship as stigmatizing.