Suicide Prevention

-Automatic translation

Every life lost to suicide is a tragedy that leaves a deep sadness. Family, friends, colleagues, healthcare professionals, and the entire immediate environment of the person will be affected for a long time. Painful emotions such as numbness, denial, anger, blame, or guilt can characterise grief.

For those who have lost a loved one to suicide, grief support is recommended at Sorgarmiðstöð and Píeta Association.

The term postvention

There isn't a single Icelandic word that captures the term postvention, but it has been translated as support following a suicide.

The support is twofold. On the one hand, it stands for all that is done to support relatives in getting back on track after suicide, and on the other hand, to prevent possible health problems, both physical and mental.

Dr Edwin Sneidman first drew attention to the concept in 1972 and said that support for relatives after suicide was inherently suicide prevention. However, it was not until 2014 that the World Health Organization recognised it as an important contributor to suicide prevention. Today, many countries are well on their way to ensuring targeted professional support after suicide.

Guidance for relatives

• Loss of relatives in suicides. Self-help manual for relatives. Published 2023. (Icelandic)

• Finding the words: How to support someone bereaved and affected by suicide. Published 2023. (Icelandic)

Related material

• Support following a suicide. Authors: Wilhelm Norðfjörð and Guðrún Jóna Guðlaugsdóttir. Published in Morgunblaðið 9 September 2021. (Icelandic)

• We are all suicide prevention. News on the website of the Directorate of Health on 10 September 2021. (Icelandic)

• Sudden Death. Plan for workplaces. Published 2022 (Icelandic)