Managing Complicated Grief: A Qualitative Study of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention National Capital Area Chapter

Abstract

The following thesis is based on a qualitative study of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention as a source of organized, formal support in grief management. This study aimed to contribute to our knowledge of grieving post-suicide in regard to the role of organized, collective support in response to the larger question of how survivors of suicide deal with the trauma of their loss. Drawing on interviews with the national capital area board as well as observations of AFSP activities I examine the role of involvement in an organization as part of grief management.