Beyond Grief: Understanding Suicide Loss and Non-Suicide Loss

Suicide loss and non-suicide loss impact thousands of people globally each year. Literature to

date has identified ways suicide-loss can impact individuals and families in unique ways but has

not indicated what specific aspects of family function are impacted for suicide-bereaved family

members. Further, it is unclear whether family members can turn to each other to provide and

receive support after their loss. The purpose of this study was to understand how suicide loss of

a family member impacts individuals when compared to suicide loss of a non-family member.

Additionally, this study aimed to understand how suicide loss of a family member impacts

family dynamics on specific levels of communication, affect expression, affect connection, and

general family functioning when compared to non-suicide family member loss. Perceived

familial support was predicted to moderate the relationship between type of loss and these family

function variables. Participants (N = 174) filled out 4 self-report measures that assessed family

function prior to their loss, grief experiences, family communication, affect expression, affect

connection, and family function after their loss. An independent samples t-test and a hierarchical

multiple regression with a moderation analysis were run to examine the relationships between

the predictor and outcome variables described above. When compared to individuals who

experienced a non-family member suicide loss, individuals who experienced family member

suicide loss reported more intense grief experiences (p = .03) but did not report significantly

different family function. When compared to non-suicide family member loss, individuals who