Factors of seeking professional help by the bereaved by suicide

Losses involving suicide are characterized by various, often intense physical, cognitive, emotional reactions and social changes. As a result, the bereaved might be in need of support from their social network and help from professionals. As we know very little about the peculiarities of help-seeking behaviors of people bereaved by suicide, this study was aimed to analyse and describe factors related to seeking professional psychological help after the suicide of a loved one, including the specific features of grief following suicide (stronger feelings of stigmatization, shame and guilt). We analysed the link between mental health condition, attitudes towards seeking professional help, coping strategies, suicide bereavement peculiarities, social changes as well as demographic and loss-related characteristics, and seeking help from professionals after the suicide of an important person. 82 people bereaved by suicide participated in the study (64 women (78%), avr. age was 37.79 yrs., avr. time since loss was 12.23 mths.). Both quantitative and qualitative tools were used for the analysis of the research results. The study revealed that the subjective closeness of the relationship with the deceased, the value attributed to seeking professional psychological help and the frequency of using the strategy of emotional support when faced with difficulties significantly predicted the likelihood of seeking professional help after the suicide of another person. Also, the bereaved who sought professional help were characterized by stronger feelings of guilt, perceived stigmatization and more often experienced negative changes in their social relationships after the suicide