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The Impact of Colleague Suicide and the Current State of Postvention Guidance for Affected Co-Workers: A Critical Integrative Review

Causer, Hilary; Spiers, Johanna; Efstathiou, Nikolaos; Aston, Stephanie; Chew-Graham, Carolyn A.; Gopfert, Anya; Grayling, Kathryn; Maben, Jill; van Hove, Maria; Riley, Ruth

The Impact of Colleague Suicide and the Current State of Postvention Guidance for Affected Co-Workers: A Critical Integrative Review Thumbnail


Authors

Hilary Causer

Johanna Spiers

Nikolaos Efstathiou

Stephanie Aston

Anya Gopfert

Kathryn Grayling

Jill Maben

Maria van Hove

Ruth Riley



Abstract

People bereaved by suicide are affected psychologically and physically and may be at greater risk of taking their own lives. Whilst researchers have explored the impact of suicide on family members and friends, the area of colleague suicide has been neglected and postvention guidance for supporting surviving colleagues is often poorly developed. This critical integrative review explored the impact of colleague suicide on surviving co-workers and reviewed postvention guidance for workplaces. Systematic searches found 17 articles that met the inclusion criteria. Articles were appraised for quality and extracted data were analysed using a thematic network method. Article quality was moderate. Two global themes were developed: impact of a colleague suicide comprised themes of ‘suicide loss in the workplace’; ‘professional identities and workplace roles’; ‘perceptions of professional uniqueness’; and ‘professional abandonment and silencing’. Postvention following a colleague suicide comprised ‘individualised responses’; ‘the dual function of stigma’; and ‘complex pressure on managers’. A unifying global network ‘after a colleague suicide’ describes the relationships between all themes. A series of disconnects between existing postvention guidance and the needs of impacted workers are discussed. This review demonstrates the need for robust, systemic postvention for colleagues impacted by the complex issue of colleague suicide.

Citation

Causer, H., Spiers, J., Efstathiou, N., Aston, S., Chew-Graham, C. A., Gopfert, A., …Riley, R. (2022). The Impact of Colleague Suicide and the Current State of Postvention Guidance for Affected Co-Workers: A Critical Integrative Review. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(18), 1-24. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph191811565

Journal Article Type Article
Acceptance Date Sep 8, 2022
Online Publication Date Sep 14, 2022
Publication Date Sep 14, 2022
Publicly Available Date May 30, 2023
Journal International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
Publisher MDPI
Volume 19
Issue 18
Article Number 11565
Pages 1-24
DOI https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph191811565
Public URL https://keele-repository.worktribe.com/output/424452
Publisher URL https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/19/18/11565

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