According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) National Center for Health Statistics, in the United States (CDC, 2020):
From 1999 to 2016, suicide rates rose across the nation (Center for Disease Control):
According to the American foundation for Suicide Prevention:
In Nevada (Nevada Coalition for Suicide Prevention, 2020):
According to Cherylyn Rahr-Wood, Nevada Office of Suicide Prevention, Zero Suicide Project Coordinator, there are multiple factors involved in a person deciding to suicide. The data shows risk factors according to age, sex, culture, and mental illness. Yet there is another risk factor that many people do not know about. According to MS Rahr-Wood, when a friend or relative dies from suicide, that exposure puts survivors of the loss at risk for suicide themselves. What is more, the research backs up this premise (Pitman et al., 2016; Molina et al., 2019). One systematic review of the literature that researched suicidal ideation after bereavement due to a variety of causes of death found nine studies that studied bereavement by suicide. The review concluded that families bereaved by suicide had higher rates of both suicide and suicidal ideation than families bereaved by other causes of death (Molina et al., 2019).
One qualitative study to gain a deeper understanding of the experiences and subsequent need of those bereaved by suicide found that participants described a wide variety of feelings and experiences (Ross et al, 2019). Researchers identified four themes among the participants of their focus groups:
While all losses impact people’s lives, not all losses result in the unique feelings and experiences that those bereaved by suicide often undergo, so it is very important for those surrounding someone who has experienced this type of loss to know what to look for. Ms Rahr-Wood suggests that what are usually called “warning signs” might better be called “invitations” because they are ways someone might be “inviting us in” or at least “inviting” us to ask. Some of those invitations might be withdrawing from friends and family, increased alcohol or drug us, anxiety, trouble sleeping, or feeling hopeless. A complete list can be found on the Nevada Coalition for Suicide Prevention website. Another useful tool is the phrase “IS PATH WARM”:
Most importantly, when someone you know of any age experiences a bereavement by suicide, the most important things you can do are to show you care, ask about suicide, and get help. Many resources are listed below and in the CASAT OnDemand Resources & Downloads page. Catalyst blog posts on suicide:
The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention International Survivors of Suicide Loss Day is Saturday November 20, 2021. This is an event in which survivors of suicide loss come together to find connection, understanding, and hope through their shared experience. This year, International Survivors of Suicide Loss Day is Saturday, November 20, 2021. You can find a current list of registrations here. If you have questions please contact your local AFSP chapter or email survivorday@afsp.org.
Do you have resources to share for survivors of a loss by suicide? Add to the conversation in the comments below.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics. Underlying Cause of Death 1999-2018 on CDC WONDER Online Database, released in 2020. Data are from the Multiple Cause of Death Files, 1999-2018, as compiled from data provided by the 57 vital statistics jurisdictions through the Vital Statistics Cooperative Program. Accessed at http://wonder.cdc.gov/ucd-icd10.html on Nov 12, 2020 12:28:04 PM
Molina, N., Viola, M., Rogers, M., Ouyang, D., Gang, J., Derry, H., & Prigerson, H. G. (2019). Suicidal Ideation in Bereavement: A Systematic Review. Behavioral Sciences, 9(5), 53. MDPI AG. Retrieved from http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/bs9050053
Pitman, A. L., Osborn, D. P. J., Rantell, K., & King, M. B. (2016). Bereavement by suicide as a risk factor for suicide attempt: A cross-sectional national UK-wide study of 3432 young bereaved adults. BMJ Open, 6(1), e009948-e009948. doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2015-009948
Ross, V., Kõlves, K., & De Leo, D. (2019). Exploring the Support Needs of People Bereaved by Suicide: A Qualitative Study. OMEGA – Journal of Death and Dying. https://doi.org/10.1177/0030222819825775
Stone DM, Simon TR, Fowler KA, et al. Vital Signs: Trends in State Suicide Rates — United States, 1999–2016 and Circumstances Contributing to Suicide — 27 States, 2015. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2018;67:617–624. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm6722a1external icon
American Foundation for Suicide Prevention – a voluntary health organization with a mission to “same lives and bring hope to those affected by suicide.”
International Survivors of Suicide Loss Day – An event in which survivors of suicide loss come together to find connection, understanding, and hope through their shared experience. This year, International Survivors of Suicide Loss Day is Saturday, November 21, 2020.
American Association of Suicidology:
The Solace Tree – Home of the good grief project
Nevada Coalition for Suicide Prevention
Office of Suicide Prevention – mission is to reduce the rates of suicide and suicidal acts in Nevada with one state plan.
PACT Coalition seeks to empower Southern Nevada with the resources to prevent substance abuse for all ages and promote recover through culturally competent advocacy, education, stigma reduction, support, and outreach.
Care Coalition – To increase public awareness of the effects of drug and alcohol abuse by educating and supporting youth, adults, the community at large and drug prevention agencies in Clark County.
