Bereavement due to suicide

Overview

In this section you can find out about bereavement due to suicide by seeing and hearing people share their personal stories on film. Researchers travelled all around the UK to talk to 40 people in their own homes. Find out what people said about issues such as finding out, telling others, the inquest and support from family and friends. We hope you find the information helpful and reassuring.

Libby Purves and Paul Heiney - Introduce the Bereavement due to suicide website

Bereavement due to suicide montage

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Stephen: I was devastated [pause] I just couldn’t, I couldn’t believe it. I came through the door and saw her and it was just horrific.

Dolores: And then the next thing, the clerical girl came back and said, “oh, the nurse is still with your husband. I'll take you round to a wee room and you can wait for them.” And I never, never for a minute thought he's dead.

Susan: The inquest was extremely unpleasant, but I, and I had thought it was going to be quite a sort of sympathetic affair because it was so obvious what had happened.

Kate: And we had her home the night before. We had an open coffin.

Amanda: And she told really lots of funny stories. And I was thinking, my goodness, how did he live as long as he did with the antics he got up to? And we were laughing. We were laughing at his funeral because he was very unique and very funny, and just adorable.

This section is from research by The University of Oxford.

Supported by:
The Department of Health

Publication date: October 2008
Last updated: July 2017.