Responding After Suicide: A Practical Guide to Immediate Postvention

This practical guide about what first responders should do after a suicide, offers advice on identifying and recording a death as suicide, breaking the bad news and dealing with the impact of suicide in the short, middle and long term.

Drawing on her own experience as a first responder and trainer, the author provides guidance and tips for best practice when responding to a suicide. These include what can happen to the body in the immediate aftermath, how to talk to the bereaved to limit or prevent secondary trauma, and how to manage suicide in public arenas such as schools. The scenarios covered include detailed scripts of how to deal with difficult situations. There are also sections that tackle complex issues such as religious or cultural customs, and unusual cases of suicide which can pose extra challenges.

Straightforward and full of sage advice, each chapter includes real-world examples from the author's many years working as a first responder which highlight how suicide postvention techniques can be applied.

Andrea Walraven-Thissen has more than 20 years' experience in suicide postvention. As a registered psychiatric nurse she specialised in Psychotraumatology and Psychosocial Support during critical incidents. She trains and supervises first responders in several countries and is an adviser to national and European policy makers. She lives in Germany.