Stasis Model

Fact:
Source: SHASHI K. BHATIA, M.D., and SUBHASH C. BHATIA, M.D.,
Creighton University, Department of Psychiatry, Omaha,
Nebraska)
Major depression affects 3 to 5 percent of children and
adolescents.
Depression is the most common condition associated with
suicide, and it is often undiagnosed or untreated.
Source: University of Washington
The great majority of people who experience a mental illness
do not die by suicide. However, of those who die from
suicide, more than 90 percent have a diagnosable mental
disorder
It's estimated 90% of people who attempt or die by suicide
have one or more mental health conditions.
Source: Carolyn C. Ross M.D., M.P.H.
People with substance use disorders are about six times (link
is external) more likely to commit suicide than the general
population.
Source: HHS.gov
In a study of all non-traffic injury deaths associated with
alcohol intoxication, over 20 percent were suicides.
Source: American Foundation for Suicide Prevention
Men die by suicide 3.5x more often than women
Firearms account for almost 50% of all suicides
Definition:
Source: Texas AM (Different kinds of loss)
Loss of a close friend
Death of a partner
Death of a classmate or colleague
Serious illness of a loved one
Death of a family member

Source: Texas AM (Normal grief reactions)

Feel like you are "going crazy
Have difficulty concentrating
Feel sad or depressed
Be irritable or angry (at the deceased, oneself, others, higher
powers
Lack energy and motivation
Source: Elisabeth Kbler-Ross & David Kessler. (Stages people go
through after losing a loved one to suicide. (Denial).
Denial is one of the first things I went through when I was
told my father had shot himself. I had the first thought of
maybe the gun shot did not kill him and then my dad
wouldnt do that to me.
Denial is understood as a defense against that brutal reality.
It blunts the impact of the loss, offers you a temporary
respite and allows you to process those overwhelming
feelings more gradually.
On one level you recognize that your loved one has died; on
another level youre unable to grasp all the ramifications of
that harsh and unwelcome reality.
Source: Anna Cocke & Our Story of Suicide. (Anger)
Many survivors feel angry at the loved one who has
committed suicide for leaving them and for the emotional
pain inflicted by their death. Understanding that anger is a
normal and acceptable reaction can help survivors avoid selfblame and depression, according to a review of studies
published in Crisis.
Although the survivors rage is often directed at multiple
targets (incompetent doctors, demanding bosses, insensitive
neighbors, uncaring relatives, an impotent God, etc
Source: griefjourney.com & Weston F (Guilt)
Although guilt serves a function for some people and is
something they may need to dwell on for a while, eventually

it is helpful to examine evidence to the contrary of their

perceived short-comings.
Frequent reminders of the times when they went the extra
distance to support their relative, will eventually assist them
to move beyond this painful feeling
Source: health.harvard.edu. (Shame)
Theres a powerful stigma attached to mental illness (a
factor in most suicides).
Many religions specifically condemn the act as a sin, so
survivors may understandably be reluctant to acknowledge
or disclose the circumstances of such a death.
Quality:
Source: Marty Tousley, RN, MS, FT, DCC (What to avoid when
trying to cope with the loss of a suicide)
Continue to speak of your lost loved one in the present
tense.
Refuse to believe your loved one has died.
Pretend the deceased is away on a trip.
Leave clothes and other personal articles exactly as they
were for months after the death, and get very upset if
anyone moves them.
Dispose of anything and everything that serves as a
reminder of the deceased.
Neither talk of the deceased nor speak your loved ones
name.
Downplay your relationship with the deceased.
Stay so busy with work or travel that you are running away
from your grief.
Resort to chemicals (drugs, alcohol, nicotine) to block out the
pain of loss.
Source: Marty Tousley, RN, MS, FT, DCC (How to start coping)
Understand that denial serves a normal function, especially
in the beginning. It is your minds way of protecting you from
more pain. Besides, your brain doesnt get it because it is
loaded with memories of your loved one. Although the

person has died, the one you love continues to exist in your
memory and in the memory of others.
Your goal is to acknowledge the truth and accept the reality
that your loved one is dead.
Denial must be dissolved eventually, but theres no specific
time frame. It becomes a concern only if it interferes with
your ability to function normally.
Dont pretend that things are all right when they are not. Be
honest with yourself and others. Distractions may keep you
occupied but dont help you move toward resolution.
Face up to the truth of your pain; open up the protective
shell youve built around yourself.
Take a hard look at what is gone and what remains. Take
stock, count, recite and recount whats been lost.
Face the fact of the death squarely. Name it, spell it out and
talk it out. Replace delicate words and phrases such as
passed on and passed away with more truthful terms like
died, dead and widowed

Policy:
Source: NHS. (Risk factors for suicide)
Being gay, lesbian or transgender, arising from the prejudice
these groups often face
Being in debt
Being homeless
Being a war veteran
Being in prison or recently released from prison
Working in an occupation that provides access to potential
ways of dying by suicide, such as working as a doctor, nurse,
pharmacist, farmer or as a member of the armed forces

 Exposure to other people with suicidal behavior, especially

close friends or family members
Source: Texas A&M. (How do you help someone after a loss to
suicide?)
Acknowledge the situation. Talking directly can be important;
this can show that you are not afraid to have a real
conversation about the loss they have experienced
Express your concern. Show your friend that you are aware
that this has affected them and that you are there when they
need help.
Be genuine in your communication, and don't hide your
feelings.
Offer your support.
Ask how he or she feels. Don't assume you know how they
feel.
Source: Harvard University (What makes suicided different?)
A traumatic aftermath. Death by suicide is sudden,
sometimes violent, and usually unexpected. Depending on
the situation, survivors may need to deal with the police or
handle press inquiries. While still in shock, they may be
asked if they want to visit the death scene. Sometimes
officials discourage the visit as too upsetting; other times
they encourage it. Either may be the right decision for an
individual. But it can add to the trauma if people feel that
they dont have a choice, says Jack Jordan, Ph.D., clinical
psychologist in Wellesley, MA and co-author of After Suicide
Loss: Coping with Your Grief.
Recurring thoughts. A suicide survivor may have recurring
thoughts of the death and its circumstances, replaying over
and over the loved ones final moments or their last
encounter in an effort to understand or simply because
the thoughts wont stop coming. Some suicide survivors
develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), an anxiety
disorder that can become chronic if not treated. In PTSD, the
trauma is involuntarily re-lived in intrusive images that can
create anxiety and a tendency to avoid anything that might
trigger the memory.

 Stigma, shame, and isolation. Family differences over how to

publicly discuss the death can make it difficult even for
survivors who want to speak openly to feel comfortable
doing so. The decision to keep the suicide a secret from
outsiders, children, or selected relatives can lead to isolation,
confusion, and shame that may last for years or even
generations. In addition, if relatives blame one another
thinking perhaps that particular actions or a failure to act
may have contributed to events that can greatly
undermine a familys ability to provide mutual support.
Mixed emotions. After a homicide, survivors can direct their
anger at the perpetrator. In a suicide, the victim is the
perpetrator, so there is a bewildering clash of emotions. On
one hand, a person who dies by suicide may appear to be a
victim of mental illness or intolerable circumstances. On the
other hand, the act may seem like an assault on, or rejection
of, those left behind. So the feelings of anger, rejection, and
abandonment that occur after many deaths are especially
intense and difficult to sort out after a suicide.
Need for reason. What if questions can arise after any
death. What if wed gone to a doctor sooner? What if we
hadnt let her drive to the basketball game? After a suicide,
these questions may be extreme and self-punishing
unrealistically condemning the survivor for failing to predict
the death or to successfully intervene. In such
circumstances, survivors tend to greatly overestimate their
own contributing role and their ability to affect the
outcome.
Policy Proposal:
Knowing the bereavement process and the challenges.
Knowing the warning signs of someone thinking about taking
their life .
The death of a loved one is never easy to experience, steps
need to be in place to help those dealing with mental illness.