Authors: Dr Eve Griffin and Dr Selena O’Connell
*Please note this survey is now closed for responses. Thank you to all who participated.
On October 5th, 2021, the first national survey of people bereaved by suicide was launched. The aim of this survey is to examine the experiences of people who have been bereaved by suicide in Ireland. We want to learn about the supports and services that people used following bereavement and if there are gaps or barriers to accessing these supports.
When a person dies by suicide, it affects a number of people around them. While we use the term bereavement, we are seeking to hear from a range of people who have experienced loss to suicide. This includes people close to the person such as friends and family, as well as other people who were affected by the death such as emergency service staff, professionals caring for the person, a passer-by who witnessed the death, neighbours or other members of the community.
The findings of this survey will be used to inform the services for people bereaved by suicide in Ireland. We hope that information on the supports that people find helpful, gaps in services or barriers to accessing to services will be used to adapt future services so that people in Ireland can access the support they need. The outcomes of this research will directly inform actions of Connecting for Life, Ireland’s National Strategy to Reduce Suicide.
Researchers at the NSRF are collaborating with HUGG (Healing Untold Grief Groups) to conduct this survey, funded by the HSE’s National Office for Suicide Prevention (NOSP).