Postvention in Action

Book excerpt: A unique and comprehensive handbook presenting the state of the art in suicide bereavement support Suicide is not merely the act of an individual; it always has an effect on others and can even increase the risk of suicide in the bereaved. The International Association for Suicide Prevention, the World Health Organisation, and others have recognized postvention as an important strategy for suicide prevention. This unique and comprehensive handbook, authored by nearly 100 international experts, including researchers, clinicians, support group facilitators, and survivors, presents the state of the art in suicide bereavement support. The first part examines the key concepts and the processes that the bereaved experience and illustrates them with illuminating clinical vignettes. The second and third parts look in detail at suicide bereavement support in all the relevant settings (including general practices, the workplace, online and many others) as well as in specific groups (such as health care workers). In the concluding section, the support provided for those bereaved by suicide in no less than 23 countries is explored in detail, showing that postvention is becoming a worldwide strategy for suicide prevention. These chapters provide useful lessons and inspiration for extending and improving postvention in new and existing areas. This unique handbook is thus essential reading for anyone involved in suicide prevention or postvention research and practice.