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Forgiveness and Blame Among Suicide Survivors: A Qualitative Analysis on Reports of 4-Year Self-Help-Group Meetings

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Abstract

This article presents the qualitative analysis of reports obtained through participant observations collected over a 4-year period in a series of suicide survivor self-help group meetings. It analysed how grievers’ healing was managed by their own support. The longitudinal study was focused on self/other blame and forgiveness. Results show how self-blame was continuously present along all the period and how it increased when new participants entered the group. This finding indicates that self-blame characterizes especially the beginning of the participation, and that any new entrance rekindles the problem. However, no participant had ever definitively demonstrated self-forgiveness, while a general forgiveness appeared when self-blame stopped. It is also suggested how to facilitate the elaboration of self-blame and forgiveness.

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Notes

  1. The study followed APA Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct and the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki. Furthermore it obtained the approval of the Ethics Commission of the Psychological Departments of the University of Padova.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Philosophy, Sociology, Pedagogy and Applied Psychology (FISPPA), Fisppa Department, University of Padova, Via Venezia 14, 35131, Padova, Italy

    Ines Testoni, Elisa Francescon & Adriano Zamperini

  2. Griffith University, Brisbane, Australia

    Diego De Leo

  3. De Leo Fund, Padova, Italy

    Anna Santini

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  1. Ines Testoni
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  2. Elisa Francescon
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  3. Diego De Leo
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  4. Anna Santini
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  5. Adriano Zamperini
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Correspondence to Ines Testoni.

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Testoni, I., Francescon, E., De Leo, D. et al. Forgiveness and Blame Among Suicide Survivors: A Qualitative Analysis on Reports of 4-Year Self-Help-Group Meetings. Community Ment Health J 55, 360–368 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10597-018-0291-3

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