Overview
After a traumatic event, students react in many different ways. Young people are still learning how to manage complex emotions. They may be reluctant to talk, openly emotional, or react with humor. They may also not recognize physical signs of distress, such as trouble sleeping, restlessness, and stomach upset.
Along with validating student feelings, it’s important to offer practical coping strategies.
Suicide contagion
Suicide contagion is the process by which one suicide death may contribute to another.
Guilt, identification, and modeling can all play a role in contagion. Although rare, suicide contagion can result in a cluster of suicides.
Explain in your initial all-staff meeting that identifying and supporting at-risk students helps prevent another death.
1. Identify and support students
The crisis team should work with teachers to
- Identify students who are most likely to be significantly affected by a death
- Implement a strategy to engage with them and determine their needs
People in your school community who may need additional support may include (but should not be limited to):
- Close friends of the deceased
- Siblings or relatives of the deceased
- Those who had a conflicted relationship with the deceased (e.g., ex-girl/boyfriends or someone who bullied the deceased)
- Individuals with a history of depression or similar problems
- Those who have made a suicide attempt
- Those who have experienced a death by suicide or other significant loss in their lives
- Students who share a class or extracurricular activity with the deceased
- Teachers who taught the student
- Vulnerable student populations, who may be more affected than the general population
The crisis team should coordinate support services for students and staff in need of individual or group counseling.
In concert with parents/guardians, crisis team members should refer students or families to community mental health providers to ensure a smooth transition from the crisis intervention phase to meeting ongoing mental health needs.
2. Continue monitoring
As you continue caring for your school community after a student’s death, be aware that certain events may trigger the return of intense emotions, such as:
- Special school events (e.g., homecoming, holidays, graduation)
- Special dates (e.g., birthday, death anniversary)
During these times, let students, families, and school staff know that supportive services are available. School staff should know the warning signs of emotional distress and which students need closer monitoring.
If risk factors are present or if reactions to the death (e.g., decline in school performance, impaired functioning with family and friends) persist without improvement, school mental health professionals should know so they can provide additional support.
3. Address the needs of suicide survivors
A suicide loss survivor is someone who experiences a high level of psychological, physical, and/or social distress for a considerable length of time after the suicide of another person.
Research has shown that people exposed to suicide are at greater risk for mental health symptoms.
Consider this continuum of exposure and those most at risk.
- Exposed: Anyone whose life or activities in any way intersect with a suicide death.
- Affected: A subset of those exposed, people who are affected includes everyone who has a reaction to the suicide that might require some type of assistance.
- Short-term bereaved: A subset of those affected, people who are short-term bereaved are those who have a reaction clearly related to grief, stemming from a close relationship with the deceased.
- Long-term bereaved: A subset of those who are short-term bereaved, those who are long-term bereaved may encounter extraordinary difficulties in the course of their grief. Their intensive bereavement is likely to endure for at least a year or longer, and they are likely to require mental health intervention.