Sharing Sources: Uniting for Suicide Postvention
Uniting for Suicide Postvention
No matter how much awareness of “the good death” and the end-of-life movement grows, some deaths still come as a shock to many loved ones—particularly suicide. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Violent Death Reporting System, 47,500 people died by suicide in the United States in 2019. The New York Times reports that while the number of people dying from suicide has dropped overall in the past two years, there is some preliminary data that the rate may have increased in the nonwhite population. How can we as EOL doulas best support the loved ones of those who died by suicide?
Suicide postvention builds upon prevention efforts by providing immediate and ongoing support to those impacted by a suicide loss. United for Suicide Postvention (USPV) was founded in the fall of 2016 when veteran leaders and suicide prevention coordinators came together to improve suicide postvention within the veteran community. Since then, USPV’s mission has grown, and with support from the VA Office of Mental Health and Suicide Prevention (OMHSP) and the Rocky Mountain MIRECC (Mental Illness Research Education and Clinical Center), USPV has been able to expand its work.
The organization serves veterans and nonveterans alike and is “inclusive to all those affected by suicide loss, including providers (an often neglected population of those affected), to decrease stigma and promote support following suicide loss.”
USPV provides resources and support materials to communities, mental health providers, and workplaces. Based on a 2018 study, it is known that exposure to suicide loss is widespread, and an average of 135 people are touched by a single suicide. The impact of suicide loss extends beyond just close family members and friends to the individual’s community, neighbors, coworkers, former classmates, and more. Through films, podcasts, downloadable printed materials, and other media, USPV provides education in how to best deliver suicide postvention. Their resource section has links organized by “Communities of Support,” which users can search by services dedicated to specific populations (Asian American, LGBTQ+, and Native American, to name a few).
The continued work of USPV and other partner organizations continues to destigmatize death by suicide and offers education and materials so that end-of-life doulas can best support our clients and each other.
If you are having thoughts of suicide, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 (TALK). Beginning July 2022, this number will be updated to the three-digit number 988