Responding to Suicide in School Communities: An Examination of Postvention Guidance from Expert Recommendations and Empirical Studies

• Published in: Current psychiatry reports Vol. 25; no. 8; pp. 345 - 356
• Main Authors: Aluri, James, Haddad, Jessi M., Parke, Susan, Schwartz, Victor, Joshi, Shashank V., Menon, Meera, Conrad, Rachel C.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Springer US 01.08.2023; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Adolescent; Behavior; Behavioral sciences; Child & adolescent psychiatry; Children & youth; College students; Colleges & universities; COVID-19; Empirical Research; Grief; Higher education; Humans; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Mental health; Pandemics; Psychiatry; Psychotherapy, Group; Schools; Secondary school students; Secondary schools; Suicide, Attempted; Suicides & suicide attempts; Topical Collection on Complex Medical-Psychiatric Issues; Young adults; Suicide postvention; High school mental health; Suicide prevention; Student suicide; Youth mental health; College mental health
• ISSN: 1523-3812; 1535-1645
• DOI: 10.1007/s11920-023-01431-x

Purpose of Review We review the published literature on a school’s response after a student dies by suicide (“postvention”). We examine published recommendations based on expert guidance and empirical studies that have evaluated postvention measures. Recent Findings Experts recommend careful communication with family, staff, and students that adheres to published suicide reporting guidelines. Experts also emphasize the importance of identifying and supporting high-risk students. Few robust, controlled studies have identified effective postvention measures. Effective measures tended to occur in group settings (e.g., group therapy), focus on improving grief symptoms, and involve mental health professionals. Summary Postvention has not been robustly studied in the school context. Expert recommendations and a few evidence-backed studies provide the frame for a coherent, school-based postvention response. Further research is needed to strengthen and expand our collective understanding of effective postvention measures in the school context as youth suicide attempts continue to rise.