Bereavement

Indigenous Postvention Model

"Echo Clusters" represent the unique story of Indigenous suicide bereavement. Grief and sadness permeate many Indigenous communities resulting from so many loved ones lost to suicide and premature death. Bereavement support for families and close associates of the suicide victim is vital, and also necessary to identify contagion.

Postvention bereavement support is the best prevention of contagion, which often results in subsequent suicides, and begins the response to contain suicide clusters. This research suggests that it needs to be incorporated into a comprehensive postvention response for the bereaved.

Contagion

Suicide contagion may be reduced or extinguished by the following: identifying those most susceptible to contagion, such as close friends and family; identifying others who have attempted suicide and/or those known to have mental health problems, especially youth and young adults; and by defusing the tension built up in the community after a completed suicide.

The main role of postvention after a suicide is to decrease the emotional distress of those affected by the death and for a community plan to be actioned to contain suicide clusters.

> Read more about Indigenous Grief & Loss

> Read more about Indigenous Suicide Containment Model

Articles

> Clusters of Suicide... The Need for a Comprehensive Postvention Response to Sorrow in Indigenous Communities in the Northern Territory