Being pro-active in meeting the needs of suicide-bereaved survivors: results from a systematic audit in Montréal

BMC Public Health

Ian van Haaster¹  Fabienne Ligier²  Gabrielle Fortin³  Charlie Brouillard³  Claude Doyon³  Alain Lesage⁴  Monique Séguin⁵  Jessica Rassy⁶ 

[1] CIUSSS de l’Est de l’Ile de Montréal, CLSC St-Michel, Montreal, Canada;Centre Psychothérapique de Nancy, Pôle Universitaire de Psychiatrie de l’Enfant et de l’Adolescent, 1 rue du Dr Archambault, F-54520, Laxou, France;EA 4360 APEMAC, Université de Lorraine, Vandoeuvre-lès-Nancy, France;Centre de recherche de l’Institut Universitaire en Santé Mentale de Montréal, Montreal, Canada;Centre de recherche de l’Institut Universitaire en Santé Mentale de Montréal, Montreal, Canada;Department of Psychiatry, Université de Montréal, Quebec, Canada;Department of Psychoeducation and Psychology, Université du Québec en Outaouais, Gatineau, Canada;Centre intégré de santé et service social de l’Outaouais (CISSSO), Outaouais, Quebec, Canada;School of Nursing, Université de Sherbrooke, Longueuil, Canada;Centre de recherche de l’Institut Universitaire en Santé Mentale de Montréal, Montreal, Canada;

关键词: Bereaved;    Help seeking;    Needs;    Postvention;    Suicide;   

DOI  :  10.1186/s12889-020-09636-y

来源: Springer

【 摘 要 】

BackgroundSuicide is a major public health concern. In 2017, the suicide rate in Canada was 11 per 100,000 inhabitants. According to literature, 1 in 5 people have experienced a death by suicide during their lifetime. The aim of this study was to describe the met and unmet needs of suicide-bereaved survivors and to provide postvention recommendations.MethodsFurther to an exploratory mixed-method audit of 39 suicides that occurred in Montreal (Canada) in 2016, suicide-bereaved survivors (n = 29) participated in semi-structured interviews and completed instruments to discuss and assess potential pathological grief, depression (PHQ-9), and anxiety (GAD-7), as well as health and social services utilization. A panel then reviewed each case and provided recommendations. The mean age of participants was 57.7 years and 23 were women.ResultsAlthough help was offered initially, in most cases by a health professional or service provider (16/29), 22 survivors would have liked to be contacted by telephone in the first 2 months post suicide. Four categories of individual unmet needs (medical/pharmacological, information, support, and outreach) and one collective unmet need (suicide pre/postvention training and delivery) emerged.ConclusionsAlthough Quebec provincial services have been developed and offered to suicide-bereaved survivors in the past decade, many dwindled over time and none has been applied systematically. Recommendations for different stakeholders (Ministry of Health and Social Services, coroners, NGOs, and representatives of suicide-bereaved survivors) outlined in this study could be an interesting first step to help develop a suicide pre/postvention strategy.

【 授权许可】

CC BY