The Impact of Suicide Bereavement on Educational and Occupational Functioning: A Qualitative Study of 460 Bereaved Adults

Alexandra Pitman, Adelia Khrisna Putri, Tanisha De Souza, Fiona Stevenson, Michael King, David Osborn and Nicola Morant
Additional contact information
Alexandra Pitman: UCL Division of Psychiatry, Maple House, 149 Tottenham Court Road, London W1T 7NF, UK
Adelia Khrisna Putri: UGM Faculty of Psychology, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Jl. Sosio Humaniora 1, Sleman, Yogyakarta 55281, Indonesia
Tanisha De Souza: North East London NHS Foundation Trust, Memory Service, Broad Street Health Centre, Morland Road, Dagenham, Essex, RM10 9HU, UK
Fiona Stevenson: UCL Research Department of Primary Care & Population Health, Rowland Hill St, London NW3 2PF, UK
Michael King: UCL Division of Psychiatry, Maple House, 149 Tottenham Court Road, London W1T 7NF, UK
David Osborn: UCL Division of Psychiatry, Maple House, 149 Tottenham Court Road, London W1T 7NF, UK
Nicola Morant: UCL Division of Psychiatry, Maple House, 149 Tottenham Court Road, London W1T 7NF, UK

IJERPH, 2018, vol. 15, issue 4, 1-17

Abstract: People bereaved by suicide are at an increased risk of suicide and of dropping out of education or work. Explanations for these associations are unclear, and more research is needed to understand how improving support in educational or work settings for people bereaved by suicide might contribute to reducing suicide risk. Our objective was to explore the impact of suicide on occupational functioning. We conducted a cross-sectional online study of bereaved adults aged 18–40, recruited from staff and students of British higher educational institutions in 2010. We used thematic analysis to analyse free text responses to two questions probing the impact of suicide bereavement on work and education. Our analysis of responses from 460 adults bereaved by suicide identified three main themes: (i) specific aspects of grief that impacted on work performance, cognitive and emotional domains, and social confidence; (ii) structural challenges in work or educational settings including a lack of institutional support, the impact of taking time off, and changes to caring roles; and (iii) new perspectives on the role of work, including determination to achieve. Institutional support should be tailored to take account of the difficulties and experiences described.

Keywords: suicide; bereavement; education; work; occupational functioning; qualitative research (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (6)

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