‘I needed to know’: imparting graphic and distressing details about a suicide to the bereaved
Keywords:
traumatic suicide, viewing distressing materialAbstract
AbstractSuicide often involves traumatic death which can result in significant injury to the body of the deceased. Despite this some bereaved people want to know the details of what has occurred, including the extent of their loved one's injuries. This article describes a collaborative process between counsellors from two different agencies in Melbourne in the state of Victoria in Australia (one a specialist suicide bereavement counselling service, the other a counselling service attached to the Coroners Court of Victoria) to attempt to ensure that those who want to know such details can have them imparted to them in a sensitive, caring and thoughtful way. This article reviews relevant literature and provides contextual information on the two services involved. This collaborative process is then illustrated by two case scenarios and its underlying practice principles described in detail. The article concludes with a discussion of the broader practice implications of this process.
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