Date

6-16-2025

Department

School of Behavioral Sciences

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology (PhD)

Chair

Bethany Mims

Keywords

suicide loss, suicide bereavement, postvention, psychopathology, psychosocial well-being, complicated grief, death notice inquiry

Disciplines

Psychology

Abstract

Each year, over 800,000 people die via lethal self-harm, leaving behind millions of survivors to navigate qualitatively unique manifestations of grief. Despite the profound psychosocial and psychopathological effects associated with suicide loss, research addressing these experiences remains extremely limited. This quantitative survey study examined the relationship between suicide loss and grief-related distress among students, focusing on sociodemographic, psychosocial, and psychopathological factors influencing bereavement over time. It also explored how the individual learned about the suicide and expanded upon 1st, 2nd, and 3rd-degree relationships. Forty-one participants recruited from universities and mental health organizations across the United States completed a loss summary/death notice inquiry and assessments measuring social support, interpersonal needs, depression, anxiety, stress, grief-related distress, and prolonged grief disorder symptomology. Statistical analyses, such as Mann-Whitney U tests, regression analyses, and bivariate correlations, were used to explore how time since loss, external support, and psychopathology shape the grieving process. Results indicated that grief-related distress persisted over time, with no significant differences between those bereaved for three or fewer years and those bereaved for four or more years, though social support influenced grief levels. While postvention services were utilized more frequently by those experiencing greater negative psychosocial factors (i.e., perceived burdensomeness), their effectiveness in mitigating long-term psychopathological symptoms and risk factors appeared limited.

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