| The focus of this study is on a bereaved population that has not received much attention in psychological literature: those surviving the suicide of a sibling. Losing a loved one to suicide is a particularly difficult loss that often involves intense grief as well as a host of other emotions, including shame, fear, rejection, anger, and guilt. With approximately 35,000 suicides completed in the United States each year, over 200,000 Americans become survivors yearly. The psychological literature on sibling loss is very limited—even more so when the death is by suicide. The limited research highlights how surviving siblings are not only frequently overlooked, but experience the double loss of both their sibling and their families as they knew them. This study utilizes a phenomenological method of inquiry, interviewing fifteen individuals who lost a sibling to suicide about their experience and how they perceive the death impacted their families as a whole. The researcher posted a recruiting poster for the study on various Facebook pages designated to support people who have lost loved ones to suicide. Potential participants were given the opportunity to contact the researcher if they were interested in participating. The researcher systematically analyzed the findings to elucidate common themes with the purpose of educating clinicians so they can be better prepared to work with clients who experience this type of loss.;Keywords: death in the family, suicide, sibling loss, grief, bereavement. |
