title: Suicide Loss Survivors' Experiences with Therapy: Implications for Clinical Practice.
abstract: Over two-thirds of suicide loss survivors, those who have lost a loved one to suicide, seek individual therapy following their loss. However, nothing is known about what survivors find helpful about therapy or how therapy impacts their grief. An online survey was conducted June 2012-March 2013 with a convenience sample of 197 survivors primarily from the USA and Australia to develop a better understanding of treatment seeking loss survivors and their experiences in therapy. Questions explored the experience of the suicide death, the therapy received after the loss, and insights about improving therapy for loss survivors. Participants were generally positive about their therapy experiences. However, respondents endorsed symptoms of PTSD, though many did not report a formal diagnosis from a provider, suggesting a discrepancy that could lead to inadequate treatment of symptoms. The findings provide an understanding of treatment seeking loss survivors, along with implications for therapists treating this population.
authors.affiliation: College of Social Work, University of Kentucky, 619 Patterson Office Tower, Lexington, KY, 40506, USA. rebecca.sanford@uky.edu.
authors.forename: Rebecca
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sanford
authors.affiliation: College of Social Work, University of Kentucky, 619 Patterson Office Tower, Lexington, KY, 40506, USA.
authors.forename: Julie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cerel
authors.affiliation: Private Practice, 27 Washington Square North 1D, New York, NY, 10011, USA.
authors.forename: Vanessa
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: McGann
authors.affiliation: School of Health, University of New England, Australia, Armidale, NSW, 2351, Australia.
authors.forename: Myfanwy
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Maple
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001601:Bereavement; D005260:Female; D006117:Grief; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011613:Psychotherapy; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy; D013405:Suicide / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D017741:Survivors / Q000523:psychology*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Bereavement; Counseling; Grief; Suicide; Therapy; Trauma