Effective communication with bereaved child survivors of suicide.
OBJECTIVE
While bereavement is considered by many to be among the most stressful life events, it becomes even more distressing when it is related to the suicide of a loved one. Further, the death of a parent is traumatic for anyone, but it may be especially intensified for young children. This points to a strong need for the recognition and treatment of psychiatric and social problems associated with childhood bereavement.
The purpose of this paper is to review the literature and present a synopsis of the psychosocial outcomes of childhood suicide survivor bereavement and outline communication issues that emerge when talking with young suicide survivors.


CONCLUSIONS
A case is made to develop and test interventions designed to meet the mental health needs of this important group of individuals.
Mitchell
Ann M
AM
University of Pittsburgh, School of Nursing, Pittsburgh, PA [corrected] USA. ammi@pitt.edu
Wesner
Susan
S
Brownson
Lynn
L
Gale
Deborah Dysart
DD
Garand
Linda
L
Havill
Allyson
A
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000367:Age Factors; D001293:Attitude to Death; D001294:Attitude to Health; D001601:Bereavement; D002648:Child; D002657:Child Development; D002665:Child Psychiatry / Q000379:methods; D016241:Child of Impaired Parents / Q000523:psychology*; D003142:Communication; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006801:Humans; D008016:Life Change Events; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D011369:Professional-Patient Relations; D011568:Psychiatric Nursing / Q000379:methods; D002666:Psychology, Child; D012307:Risk Factors; D012660:Semantics; D013240:Stereotyping; D013405:Suicide / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D017741:Survivors / Q000523:psychology*