The suicide support group as a signifying agent and emotion transformer: A contribution from a micro-sociological perspective

Abstract

We examined social mechanisms of suicide support groups based on evidence from an Italian postvention program. Our data comprise field notes from 47 meetings of a peer group and interviews with 20 suicide survivors. Group meetings unfolded as interaction rituals with elements including the survivors’ focus on their trauma, their common emotions, and their perception of boundaries to outsiders. Meanings relative to these elements were expressed by participants according to three types of representations, termed diagnostic, prognostic, and motivational framing. Main themes concerned: the uniqueness of suicide loss; related emotions such as self-blame and a sense of abandonment; the survivors’ estrangement toward social networks; a common search for strategies for coping with grief; some correlated emotional benefits; the awareness of a diffuse cultural unreadiness to deal with suicide; the definition of the group identity; a related sense of belonging; and group participation in terms of an extended solidarity.

Acknowledgments

We particularly thank Dario Pangrazzi for his helpful support during all stages of our investigation, and the people who generously gave us the opportunity of listening to their stories concerning these exceptionally difficult circumstances of their life. We also thank the A.M.A. Association and the prevention/postvention program Invito alla vita (“Invitation to Life”) for the interest devoted to our research project, especially Beatrice Caratù and Sandra Venturelli.

Author contributions

Regarding the data discussed in this article, Deborah Fraccaro conducted and analyzed the interviews, and Domenico Tosini participated in the meetings of the suicide support group and examined the corresponding field notes. Both authors contributed equally to the manuscript.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

The author(s) reported there is no funding associated with the work featured in this article.