An exploration into the impact of suicide on the survivors, the feelings and stigma that go hand in hand with suicide
Authors
O'Callaghan, Lorraine
Issue Date
2008
Degree
BA (Hons) Counselling and Psychotherapy
Publisher
Dublin Business School
Rights holder
Rights
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Abstract
This project is an exploration into the impact of suicide on the survivors and to see if the stigma attached to suicide is still as prevalent in today's society. There is a huge amount of research and books on why people take their own life's, suicidal behaviour, who is at risk and statistics on age groups, professions and time of suicide, but when it came to literature on the impact it has on those left behind the information available was limited. A questionnaire was designed to explore the thoughts, feelings, emotions and the impact suicide has on the survivors. The questionnaire was handed out to forty people, 20 male and 20 female with the age ranging form 25 to 60 all of which knew or worked with someone who had committed suicide and where in contact with them on a daily basis. Responses would suggest the grieving process is not so much hindered by the stigma but rather a difficulty in expressing there thoughts and emotions because the individuals own feeling of responsibility, regret and guilt around how they could have prevented the suicide. The author also looked at a survey on the public's perception of suicide which would suggest that the stigma has been greatly reduced due to the numbers of people who have had a direct experience with suicide. This study will discuss in detail the type of feelings that have been reported by suicide survivors.