Suicide, ethics and service-user participation in mental health: a portfolio of related papers

Homeless sector workers often encounter the deaths of service users. A modified grounded theory methodology was used to explore how workers make sense of, respond to, and cope with sudden death. In depth interviews were undertaken with 15 paid homeless sector workers who had experienced the death of someone with whom they worked. Transcripts of interviews and field notes were analysed using the constant comparative method and a theory which described the positive framing of death emerged. Dealing with death and trauma is not something that most workers expect when they begin work but exposure to the death of a service user heightens expectations that other service users may be harmed. How workers cope or positively frame death depends on several interlinked processes. These include how the death is encountered, how the worker and others mark the death and the extent that the vulnerability of self, peers and service users is recognised and responded to. Successfully framing death enables the worker to continue working in the sector whilst maintaining enthusiasm for their work and compassion for service users