With a Little Help From My Friends: A Follow-Up Study on the Contribution of Interpersonal Characteristics to Posttraumatic Growth Among Suicide-Loss Survivors

Objective: The study of suicide-loss survivors—specifically the study of healing processes in this population—is scant. This study represents an effort to extend this field by developing a comprehensive understanding of the underlying interpersonal facilitators of posttraumatic growth (PTG) among suicide-loss survivors in an 18-month longitudinal design. Our aim was to examine the key interpersonal factors that influence positive growth among survivors over time. Method: Participants included 156 suicide-loss survivors (132 women and 24 men), aged 18 to 70. Participants completed several questionnaires, tapping the interpersonal factors of self-disclosure, social support, thwarted belongingness, and perceived burdensomeness at T1 (baseline). Moreover, participants were assessed on PTG levels twice: at T1 and again at T2 (18 months later). Results: Belongingness, self-disclosure, and social support were found to be facilitators of increasing PTG levels at T2. Structural equation modeling analysis revealed that self-disclosure and social support mediate the relationship between belongingness and PTG (T2), beyond the contribution of PTG at T1. Conclusions: On the basis of these findings, it can be inferred that the interpersonal factors of belongingness, self-disclosure, and social support play important roles in facilitating PTG among suicide-loss survivors. Thus, basic psychoeducational interventions specifically designed to foster self-disclosure and acquire support can help suicide-loss survivors achieve PTG following their traumatic loss.