Suicide Postvention Issues Faced by UK & Ireland adult males

John Whitebrook, a researcher in the UK, invited HUGG members to participate in a qualitative study of postvention issues faced by UK and Ireland adult males bereaved by suicide. 

Based on ten interviews he found several postvention enablers and postvention barriers.  Postvention is a specific form of intervention which is provided after a suicide in recognition of the increased risk of suicidal ideation among the bereaved family, friends, and community. 

Below is a list of what is helpful to support men who are bereaved by suicide: 

• Provide information men can digest in their own time
• Activities with implicit suicide bereavement support/informal support
• Activities with a physical/outdoor component
• Female accompaniment and lack of pressure to speak 
• Hybrid meeting (don’t have to walk into a room of mainly women)
• Men-only suicide bereavement peer support groups
• Overt encouragement of men to share their feelings, i.e. don’t reinforce stereotypes by leaving them to internalise emotions
• Involvement in advocacy for bereavement charity 

What is not helpful for men bereaved by suicide and poses a barrier to support is:

• Pressure (real or perceived) to talk about emotions
• Societal expectations of stoicism (internally or externally generated) 
• Feeling a responsibility to step in/fix things (in a mixed group)
• Family support directed towards females
• Female dominance in support activities (self-fulling prophecy)
• Delegation of grieving to females
• Can’t match what other men are doing e.g. ‘Three Dads Walking’
• Men-only mental health groups not having a suicide bereavement focus 
• Financial constraints (prioritise others/females) – breadwinner role

We are grateful to John for his work in this space and for sharing these valuable insights with us.  

We are also proud to launch HUGG Men, a dedicated suicide bereavement support group, led by men for men.  If you are interested in learning more about HUGG Men, please email support@HUGG.ie to speak with our telephone supporter who can answer any questions you might have.  If you are ready to join HUGG Men, fill out the form here: https://www.hugg.ie/join-a-group/