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Assisting after a Youth Suicide

In the field of suicide prevention, the term “postvention” has been coined to refer to those activities and processes that are undertaken after a suicide has taken place. A coordinated and thoughtfully informed postvention response that is guided by the professional and empirical literature is designed to identify youth at potential risk, reduce risks for imitative suicidal behaviour and subsequent mental health problems, and facilitate healthy expressions of grief.

Current Knowledge About Postvention 72 73

  • Postvention strategies are directed at peer survivors of a youth suicide as they can be at heightened risk for psychological distress and imitative suicidal behaviours.
  • Current evidence regarding the effectiveness of postvention strategies is scarce.
  • A coordinated community response is an important part of an effective postvention response
  • Tentative support exists for the effectiveness of post-suicide screening efforts in facilitating detection of those at potential risk.
  • Proximity to the deceased might not be the best factor in determining potential risk, other factors to consider include depression, poor school functioning and poor social functioning among those exposed to the suicide.
  • It is possible to identify and respond to youth at risk following an outbreak of suicides and suicidal behaviours through a standardized and systematic approach to detecting risk and by facilitating referrals for immediate crisis response.