Page 61 - IJPS-10-2

International Journal of
Population Studies Experience of bereavement by suicide in later life

suicide prevention strategies would be key to engage in the are better than others because they are more likely to
potential for peer support and advocacy in later life. This generate beliefs and opinions that will prove more true or
offers a different lens to understanding the assimilation justified to guide action” (Mezirow, 2003, pp. 58-59).
model referred to earlier (Stiles & Bringar, 2007), which Fielden (2003, p82) talks about the “moving on mode”
utilizes a continuous developmental and therapeutic in which people bereaved by suicide came to realize
process. Assimilation seeks to join the problematic voice the finality of their loved one’s death and to develop an
with the community of voices, which also opens the acceptance that their own life could never be as it was
possibility of joint action, thus turning the problem into a before the suicide. Some participants moved clearly from
resource. The potential of learning offers greater extension their survival mode and from searching mode in which
to this process, and this study is the first in our knowledge they wanted answers to ask why their significant other
to explore the potential of transformation learning theory had suddenly died. They began to focus their attention
for understanding bereavement by suicide in later life.
outward again by looking forward and participation. These
Mezirow defined transformational learning as the strengths should be recognized and harnessed within
process by which “we transform problematic frame of ageing and well-being strategies.
reference to make them more inclusive, discriminating,
open reflective, and emotional able to change” (2000, p92) 4.3. The role of transformative learning theory,
and these were in evidence for participants at different practice, and research in understanding the support
levels. Transformations may be epochal and often needs of people bereaved by suicide in their later
associated with a significant life crisis such as bereavement life and the implications for development of practice
by suicide. They may also be cumulative with a progressive and research in suicide prevention
sequence of insights, for example, where participants had to The UK national suicide prevention strategies (Department
reimagine their aging future, reconsider their networks of of Health and Social Care, 2012; 2019; UK Parliament,
support, and discover new motivations and strengths such 2023) have repeatedly stated that those bereaved by
as those many brought to the peer support community. suicide should be provided with better information and
These are all central to the initiation of the transformational effective, timely support. As demonstrated in this study,
process (Sand & Tenant, 2010). Again, there may be some the experience of difficult emotions increases risk of several
important messages for suicide prevention strategies in negative outcomes for the bereaved person. For those
this strength-based approach to providing community- bereaved by suicide in later life, there are particular, but
based support. Given that peoples experiences of often unacknowledged, challenges including a reduced and
bereavement by suicide in later life has been hitherto limited social network, a greater degree of emotional and
neglected in suicide research and practice, Mezirow’s social loneliness (Shah & Meeks, 2012), and problems with
theories of transformational learning (2000, 2009) provide recovery and restorative tasks which can also be hindered
a useful reference for illustrating the potential of learning by the physical and cognitive impact of disabilities and long-
from within a critical paradigm of social care to bring term health conditions that sometimes accompanies aging
about change. The concept of perspective transformation (Hansson & Stroebe, 2007). Many of our participants had
coheres with idealized aspects of professional practice with lost a child, and this has been shown to result in psychiatric
older people that emphasize the centrality of experience, morbidity and precipitate the person’s own suicide (Clarke
critical reflection, meaning making, and the importance & Wrigley, 2004). This unique population is likely to present
of relationship, which, in this study, was the exactly to care services in different ways, and not always directly,
opposite of what happened to individuals in many cases. for example, with medically unexplained symptoms, self-
Participants found that both professionals, friends, and neglect, and problematic substance use (Hashim et al.,
family turned away from them. Finding the right design 2013). At the same time, the strengths and resilience of this
of services and methods to engage people in suicide group of people may be unrecognized and under-utilized in
bereavement support can be a powerful way of bringing postvention strategies (activities developed by, with, or for
older people’s voices in to capitalize on the assets that they suicide survivors, to facilitate recovery after suicide and to
themselves bring. In Mezirow’s formulation, the process of
transformative learning commences with a “disorienting prevent adverse outcomes). While this study was conducted
dilemma,” which leads to a self-examination with others in the UK, it illustrates how people in later life can be
(in mutual dialogue), a critical assessment of internalized marginalized from suicide prevention policies despite a
global rise in their suicide rates.
assumptions, and finally to a “perspective transformation”
or new “meaning perspective” that are more inclusive, At the heart of using learning theory or educational
discriminating, and reflective: “Such frames of reference gerontology in social care is the potential for democratization

Volume 10 Issue 2 (2024) 55 https://doi.org/10.36922/ijps.0777